The Forgotten, The Fumorii
by CeasedExistence
Summary: After Walker exposes his secret to the whole town, Danny finds himself on the the run, abandoned by everyone he once held dear. Sam and Tucker have betrayed him, and nowhere is safe. *BEING REDONE*
1. Prologue

_AN: This is an idea that I've had for ages (since I started watching DP about 7 months ago). I held off because I wanted it to be as good as it could be- and I have a habit of churning out chapters witout any sort of discernable plot line, plan, or spellcheck for that matter. I hope it was worth the wait and the effort- please review if you think it's worth continuing._

_Obviously I don't own this, or Danny would be taller and Dash's head would be a toilet._

* * *

The entire town froze, staring in fear and confusion at the ghost who hovered above them. A certain white-trench-coat-and-black-fedora wearing, rules-obsessed, Hates-Danny-Phantom ghost who happened to go by the name of Walker.

"Oh _shit_." Danny muttered, looking around for a place to go ghost while absently wondering when exactly he had gotten separated from Sam and Tucker. Unfortunatly for the young halfa, Walker's ghost goons (try saying _that_ ten times fast, he mused dryly) had completely surrounded the populace of Amity Park, leering at the captured humans in a not incredibly reassuring way.

"Come out and play, young ghost!" Walker called gleefully. "Oh, wait, that's right- you can't, can you? You're too afraid that the people you so desperately protect will figure out your little _secret_." Okay scratch that last one- Walker wasn't just gleeful, he was positively jumping for joy. The Charlie-Chan-reject(1) had something up his sleeve, or he wouldn't be bothering with the smug 'Ha-I-Win' dialogue- and Danny would bet _anything_ that it wasn't going to be good for Amity Park's resident ghostly hero in any way, shape, or form (and he had quite a few of those available, God knew).

"Well then," Walker crowed, "I suppose we'll just have to find a way around that, won't we?"

_This_ couldn't be good.

"Amity Park!" A floating television…thing (it didn't look like any television _he'd_ ever seen) floated up beside Walker. "I give you- _**Danny Phantom!!!**_"

And there, floating thirty feet above the entire population of his hometown, was footage of Danny Phantom getting thrown into a wall. A ring of bright light formed around his waist, splitting into two as he struggled to get back up. As the rings finished their journey, a gasp rippled across the crowd, and Danny's parents dropped their arsenal of ghost hunting weapons in favor of staring blankly at their son.

Because there, on the giant screen, was a ten-foot high, bruised and bloody Danny _Fenton_ staring directly at the camera.

Oh no.

Not good at all.

* * *

(1)- Charlie Chan, the famous detective created by Earl Der Biggers, was featured in 41 classic films. 


	2. The Fall of a Hero

_A/N: This has got to be the longest chapter I have ever written. Since I did not get a single bad review, I have decided to continue. Since exams are coming up, I chose a bad time to start this. Expect updates once every two weeks or so until the end of June, and then once a week._

_Enjoy, and review with ideas. If you describe a character I'll put them in as an OC, but most OC's submitted will have only a small role; I have already designed the major OC's._

**

* * *

The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter One: The Fall of a Hero

"Ehehe…" Danny chuckled nervously. "Um… hi, everybody! Pay no attention to the giant me on the screen, please…" _Oh yeah, because that will __totally__ work. Smooth move, ghost boy._

"Danny?" His mom's voice quavered, and he winced slightly. "Danny, what's going on? I… I don't understand…"

Suddenly Jack, who had previously been silent, burst in. "Obviously it's a ploy! A trick by the filthy ghost scum to make us turn on our own son and forget about the real menace!" Danny had never been so thankful to his father's dimwittedness in his life. "_**Ghosts!**_" Jack added as an afterthought, and Danny revised his original statement- _but there are limits to which I can tolerate him constantly screaming that damn word._

"A ploy, is it?" Walker asked rhetorically- he obviously didn't care, so why was he asking? "We'll see if it's a ploy- if your son isn't the ghost boy, then there is nothing to stop the real ghost boy from turning up- _before we execute his little friends_." Walker laughed darkly and waved his hand, as two of his cronies appeared from nowhere carrying what appeared to be a glowing green fishing net. Only one itty bitty problem though- there were no fish in the net. Sam and Tucker were caught in it instead.

_I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning,_ Danny groaned silently, trying to think of a way out of this one. _If only I could duplicate already, but I can only pull off a second head before I'm drained completely…_

And then a third ghost goon appeared, holding a giant ray gun and aiming it at the net. Aiming it at Sam and Tucker, the ray gun charged up, and the crowd held their breath fearfully. As if in slow motion, Danny watched the flash of light emerge from the gun and creep towards his two best friends in the world- saving the world together a few times tended to make you appreciate what you had, he mused- as the Goth and the techno geek screamed "_**Danny!**_" and latched their arms around each other.

And then, before he could control it, his 'saving people thing' kicked in and he transformed, shooting towards the teenagers like a bat out of hell. Tearing the net apart at the speed of light, he wrapped one arm around each of them and swiftly deposited them on the ground, before landing beside them and gasping, "Are you guys okay?!"

Sam looked dazed, and then tackled him. "Sam?" Danny choked, "Sam, I can't breathe…"

She let go and stepped back. "I _told_ you that you have a saving people thing." Danny's temper flared, and his eyes flashed green. "I do _not_ have a saving people thing!" He flushed, embarrassed. Both teens paused when Tucker cut in. "Um, guys?"

They looked around at the townspeople surrounding them. Angry whispers were spreading through the crowd like wildfire- "_He's the ghost boy?_" "_It's HIS fault that the ghosts keep attacking us!_" and "_He's a freak!_" were heard all around them. Danny managed to keep his cool until he heard the last one; it was _way _too close to what Spectra, and pretty much every other ghost he had fought, had been telling him since the accident just over a year ago, and he flinched visibly.

Sam saw this and whirled around angrily. "What is _wrong_ with you people?!" She demanded angrily. "He's done nothing but protect you all since Day One, and kept protecting you even after all of the horrible things you accused him of! How can you possibly call him a freak after everything he's been through, after everything he's sacrificed? He's still the same Danny as before, the same Danny you've all known for years!"

"But he isn't the same!" One person called out from within the crowd. "He's not human, and he's not a ghost either! He's _dangerous_, unstable!"

"Yes," another agreed, "He's a freak- not a ghost, not a boy! He could destroy us all!" Danny listened with increasing horror to the shouts all around him- this was _not_ what was supposed to happen. Everyone had accepted him before, what was different now? His musings were cut off when two sets of very angry parents appeared.

"Samantha Manson!" and "Tucker Foley!" were heard, and Danny's stomach sunk even lower, if that were possible. "Samantha Manson! Get away from that- that _thing_ this instant!" Mrs. Manson's shrill voice cut through the air. Equally harsh were Tucker's parents- Danny saw several people in the crowd lean to cover their children's ears.

His friends got ready to protest, and Danny's heart swelled; at least Sam and Tucker were willing to stand up for him. However, the happy bubble burst as soon as a new set of voices entered the fray.

"He's right, kids; ghosts are dangerous, and he could seriously hurt you!" _Mom?_ Danny wondered, feeling despair begin to creep in. _Dad? Not you guys, too! _Sam and Tucker exchanged nervous glances, and then hesitantly moved away from Danny to stand by their respective parents. "Freeze, ghost!" Maddie Fenton leveled the latest in their arsenal of ecto-weapons. "Move and I'll vaporize you."

"What now, ghost boy?" Walker cackled from above. "Even if you defeat me, they all hate you now! There's nowhere for you to go! Even if I lose today, I have done the impossible! _I have defeated Danny Phantom!_"


	3. What Have We Done?

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Two: What Have We Done?

To the surprise of everyone present, Danny began to chuckle. "Beaten me?" he asked incredulously. "Is that what you believe?"

Walker paused. "Er… yes." Gaining his second wind he continued, "For now that your family and friends hate you, you cannot stay in Amity Park without being destroyed! And as soon as you are destroyed, it will leave this town open to the ghosts! We will flock to the Portal that leads to the human realm, and a new era of order and stability will begin for all of Ghost Kind!"

Danny cut him off there, laughing even harder. "You know, you're kinda starting to sound like the Box Ghost. And you haven't defeated me, by the way." He said all this as though he was talking about the weather, and he didn't have a nasty looking bazooka aimed at his head. "In fact, you've actually helped me."

Now, nothing annoyed Walker half so much as being accused of assisting his enemies. "Oh, really?" he sneered. "And how exactly do you figure that?"

"Simple." Danny replied. "Now that they know, I can kick your ass without having to worry about getting found out. And on top of that, I finally know their reaction; I always wondered if my parents would choose me or their profession, given the chance, and now I know." He set his backpack down and squared his shoulders, the rings of light transforming him back into Danny Phantom.

"Oh, and by the way; did I mention that I no longer have to hold back when I'm fighting you?"

Walker's eyes widened. "Hold… hold _back_?!" He stuttered in disbelief. Then he smirked and straightened up. "Ha! You're bluffing, you pathetic Halfling!"

"Bluffing, am I?" Danny did a very un-Danny like thing then- he smirked. Not a nice smirk, either. In fact, this smirk was disturbingly reminiscent of Vlad. "Well then, let's just see about that, shall we?"

The occupants of the crowd shuffled nervously; this was unfamiliar behavior for the ghost boy, and therefore something to be worried about. And, as humans usually do, they went with the good ol' American standby- if you can't buy it, and you can't explain it, then blow it up.

Maddie pulled the trigger on the gun she had pointed at her son- _No, not my son, just a ghost only a ghost and dammit all, that is not Danny, just an evil ghost…_- and the green beam traveled towards him as he turned his head as though in slow motion-

And stopped.

Wait, _what?_

Danny chuckled hollowly. "Surprised, Maddie?" his voice was cold, hollow. "Like I said, I no longer have to hold back- and that means I no longer have to pretend you're weapons actually hurt. Or even _hit_, for that matter." He added, looking at the frozen plasma blast in front of them.

"Now wait just one second, Mister!" she started, but Danny interrupted her.

"Hey, Maddie?"

She flinched at the impersonal use of her name, but reluctantly answered. "Yes?"

"Shut _up._" And he turned his attention back to Walker.

"Time to say bye-bye," he mocked in a child's voice, pantomiming the waving motion with his hand as his eyes flashed violently green and an unnatural wind swept his hair back. Walker knew he was in trouble now.

"Um… bye-bye?" he waved back, flinching. Maybe revealing the ghost boy to his whole town was a bad idea after all?

He never got a chance to finish the thought, as Danny smirked coldly and affirmed, "Bye-bye," before launching a plasma blast more powerful than Walker had ever seen from him before. His last conscious thought was, _Yep, definitely a bad idea_, before everything faded into oblivion.

As the last of the blast faded away, he looked around at the people he had grown up with, the people he had considered his friends, and above all, his parents, who had told him everyday since he was little that they would always love him no matter what.

_Liars_, he thought bitterly, _all of them. _Turning to Sam and Tucker, he tilted his head and murmured sadly, "I had expected better from you two, at least."

Sam stepped forward and reached out to him, pleading. "Danny, we're sorry, but-" Danny cut her off. "And since when have you listened to _anyone_, let alone _my _parents?" Next he turned to Tucker, saying, "You hardly ever listened to your parents before, Tuck. Why did you have to start now?" Both of his friends flushed guiltily; secretly glad when he turned his gaze away from them and onto the faces of his parents.

"Danny," his mother gestured helplessly. "We're _sorry_-"

"Don't you mean 'Ghost scum'?" he sighed. "This is why I didn't tell you- I knew you'd react this way, knew you couldn't accept me if I was anything less than human."

"Danny, please stay with us. We'll find a way to make you better, to make you human again…" she trailed off.

"Human again." He chuckled. "What makes you think I want to be human again? I don't suppose it's occurred to you, even once, that maybe I _like_ the way I am?" His parents were flabbergasted. "But…" his father protested weakly. "But, you're a _ghost!_" He said it with such conviction, as though it explained everything. Danny was disappointed that his parents could be so narrow minded.

"I'm only half." He stated defiantly, earning many gasps from the crowd. "And if I wasn't, Amity Park would have been wiped out by ghosts by now; ghosts that travel here through a certain Ghost Portal we all know and love." He added acidly, "And while you're talking about _fixing_ me, keep this in mind; it was _your_ invention that made me this way!" He was yelling now, and the crowd drew back, murmuring nervously. Danny took this all in with sad eyes, before sighing and looking back at his parents.

"Forget this, I'm out of here." He sounded resigned. "I never wanted anyone to be afraid of me; that's why I never said anything. But now everyone's _terrified_, and you will be as long as I stay here. Hell, maybe I _am_ why the ghosts attack here more often than anywhere else; and if that's true, I'm putting you all in danger."

A young woman holding a toddler and standing near the front of the crowd spoke up. "You mean you're still going to try to protect us?" she asked wonderingly.

"I promised when I became half ghost that I'd always do what was best for Amity Park and the people in it. If my leaving is what's best for you all…" He trailed off, shook his head, and faded away.

He tried so hard not to cry.

But one sparkling tear shattered on the pavement where he stood not a moment before.

It was quickly followed by many others, as about half of the town fell to their knees and cried. The rest walked away, muttering, "Good riddance."

_What have we done?_

* * *

_A/N: Sorry, folks, but no more chapters till exams are done in say... 2 or 3 weeks? It'll be extra long, I promise. Please don't forget me!_


	4. Five Years Later

_A/N: The author would like to apologize for taking so long to update- blame the crappy school and exam system that they employ in Nova Scotia. The author hopes you will enjoy this chapter, as it is the longest yet, and hopefully better quality. The author does not wish to comment on her sudden habit of speaking in the third person. The author does not own Danny Phantom._**

* * *

****The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Three: Five Years Later

_Five years,_ forty-nine year old Madeline Fenton thought wearily, gazing at the muted television screen in front of her. _Almost five years since he left. Five years since I found out my son was the ghost I had tried so hard to brutally, viciously, sadistically __**destroy**__ on an almost daily basis. Five years exactly in only thirty minutes... God, I miss him. I miss him so much…_ the aging woman started to sob quietly, holding her head in her hands. _I want my baby boy back!_

The years since her son's exposure, and subsequent disappearance, had not been kind to the once-upon-a-time ghost hunter. Her previously vibrant auburn hair was now washed out, and streaked with grey. Frown lines and deep wrinkles lined the contours of her face, leading the observer's gaze to meet tired lavender eyes. No, not just tired; _blank_, empty, out of focus- like she had nothing to look forward to, so why bother looking? Looking into the eyes of Madeline Fenton was like looking into the eyes of one who had given up on life- worse; it was like looking into the eyes on someone who had given up on _death_.

But Maddie Fenton did have something to look for. Ever since that day, almost five years ago, she had had something to look for. Or was she looking for a someone? She couldn't always remember things when this day came around. Every year it was the same; the town would shut down. Everyone stayed inside. No phones rang, no children laughed; the birds did not sing, and the sun did not shine. Every year on the anniversary of his leaving, the usually bustling (if somewhat subdued) municipality of Amity Park, Oregon, became a ghost town.

The aging woman stifled a chuckle at the thought; ghost town? There hadn't been any reports of malicious ghosts in Amity Park for…

Five years.

_Damn_it! No matter what she did, everything and everyone here reminded her constantly of the son that she had chased away, the son that she had unwittingly tried to destroy to protect. It was so ironic that he had left in an attempt to protect them from the ghosts that attacked the town due to his presence, the ex-ghost-hunter mused; but that, in the end, his leaving had destroyed the community, mind and spirit, far more effectively than any ghost, even Pariah Dark, could have ever done.

But back to her previous thought. Every year on the day of her son's disappearance, the town shut down and went into a kind of mourning that the ghost boy would have been both shocked and dismayed to see. On that day, you'd be lucky if the 9-1-1operators weren't locked in their tiny, minimum wage apartments, silently grieving for someone they had once taken reports against for the police on a daily basis.

He had disappeared on June tenth, taking the evil ghosts that plagued the town with him. Even after all they had done to him, how they had treated him, he had still risked himself to protect the people he cared about.

_There is the poet, dieing for those he knows and loves, and for those he loves, but does not know._ She gave a slow, sad half-smile at the thought- she had raised a good son. Too bad she had tried to kill him, to tear him apart molecule by molecule. And even though she knew, logically, that it was far too late to hope for forgiveness, to make up for what she had done, for what _all_ of them had done, it didn't stop her from trying. He had never given up when he was fighting to protect the town from harm, not once, so neither did she; it was only one of the ways that she honored his memory.

After so many years, there was no way she could be sure that her baby boy- _no, not a baby, and especially not her baby, she didn't deserve him, he was all grown up, and it was too soon, far too soon for him to have to be all grown up_- was still alive, the entire town continued to lament the loss of their hero, and try to pay tribute to Danny Phantom by being everything they weren't before. In Amity Park, everyone was well-looked after, accepted despite their differences, and treated with great kindness. It was only too bad, she reflected bitterly, that they had been given their revelation too late to bestow its effects on the one who had risked his own skin, time and time again, to save the people who only wanted to harm him for no reason other than that they didn't understand him.

When her son had left, both Maddie and Jack had quit ghost hunting for good; they destroyed all of the harmful anti-ghost weapons they had devoted so much (_too much?_) time and effort to developing. They had burned the blueprints, wiped the hard drives, and annihilated all traces, so that their work could never be used to harm a ghost again.

And then, they began to plan.

Fentonworks had begun to churn out ghost technology faster than ever before, inventions literally piling up in the lab; so many, in fact, that they had been forced to convert one of the other rooms in the house into a second laboratory-slash-storage area. The only room in the building that was unused was Danny's old bedroom, but they hadn't touched that; it remained exactly the same as the day he left, with the bedclothes slightly rumpled and the sock drawer not pushed all the way in. Although none of them wanted to admit it, they were waiting for Danny to come home; so, in order to make sure he had a place to come home to, they had opted instead to renovate the guest room on the first floor, knocking down the wall that separated it from the living room and thus modifying both rooms into a single large second laboratory.

The living room/guest room-turned-sci-fi-movie-set had not been the only renovations that the Fenton's had done since their rather abrupt change in careers. The sign on the front of their house- _because it was no longer a home, not once he left_- no longer said "**Fentonworks, Ghost Hunters Extraordinaire**", proudly proclaiming their chosen profession to the cosmos in neon exaltation. No, that sign had long since been removed, replaced with a far more plain board which was propped up on the handrail by their door, humbly announcing to the observer that they had happened upon the residence of "**Fentonworks, Ghost ****Trackers**** Extraordinaire**". And indeed they were ghost trackers extraordinaire, for now Fentonworks was well known in the township as a place where one could find information on almost any ghost imaginable, as well as humane containment units for the restless undead that simply wanted someone to help them. The Fenton's were still avoided by many ghosts, that was true, but they had managed to form an alliance with a select few- a shaky alliance indeed, for the ghosts were wary of trusting ones who had tried to destroy them in the past, and the Fenton's were afraid to stand up to the ghosts, unwilling to chase away the last tangible link they had to their son.

The door opened softly behind her, and Maddie turned around to see her beloved fifty-something husband, Jack, closing the door quietly behind him. The shadows of time that had passed too slowly, and far, far too quickly, were also visible in every aspect of the previously outgoing, if childishly endearing, oaf of a man. He had lost weight and substance, seeming now more like a walking skeleton than the reflection of the friendly giant he had once been. His hair was pure silver now, his face gaunt, his eyes haunted with despair and regret. At some point, he had traded in his violently orange jumpsuit for a more subtle, flattering pair of black slacks with an ice-blue button-up shirt- _the color of his hair, the color of his eyes_-, only a few of the many inconspicuous reminders of their youngest child that could be found all over the Fenton residence, if you looked closely enough.

Jack looked at her apologetically, and came over to kiss her hello on the forehead. Noticing the fresh trails of tears running down her face, he sighed and pulled her into a gentle embrace, softly wiping the tears away. Even so close to the hour of his boy's vanishing act, Jack Fenton shed no tears, simply because he had no tears left to shed. In the weeks, and even months, following Danny's leaving, Jack had developed the habit of sitting in the armchair by the window and staring out onto the street, searching for something- for some_one_, and although neither he nor Maddie spoke a name aloud, they both knew who they were still subconsciously waiting for. Eventually, neither of them knew exactly how long, they had both accepted that the object of their concern was not going to come waltzing down the street.

So, one rather short tempered letter to the Ghost Hunters Society (Motto: _The only good ghost is a dead ghost!_), a massive spring cleaning effort, and the aforementioned renovations later, the first official outlet of the Ghost Trackers Society (Motto: _Everyone deserves a second chance at forgiveness- help a tortured soul find rest today!_) was in business. They specialized in spreading information about the misunderstood shadows of lives long forgotten, dispelling the common myths that were the roots of many ghost-based fears, and tracking down ghosts- either to help them find rest, to give closure to a family member or friend, or their favorite reason of all; to beg and plead for some small tidbit of information about their son.

But if the ghosts that lingered knew anything about the boy who stood between worlds, they certainly were _not_ telling the Fenton's. So, time passed, and years, and it took them to this moment; the dejected parents of a boy who had only wanted to help, watching as the hands on the clock ticked closer and closer to their destination…

_**BONG!**_

The city hall bell tolled the first strike of noon.

_**BONG!**_

How strange, Maddie thought, that even after all of these years, that dreadful sound still reminded her of funeral bells.

_**BONG!**_

There! Was it the fourth stroke, or the fifth?

_**BONG!**_

Clouds rushed in over Amity quickly, blotting out what sun there had been in favor of casting a shadow over everything they could reach.

_**BONG!**_

Was it the eighth toll now? The ninth?

_**BONG!**_

Lightening flashed from behind its curtain of storm clouds, narrowly missing the flagpole above Casper High school (home of the Ravens, you know- too bad they hadn't won a game in five years, something about team morale being lower than ever before).

_**BONG!**_

That was definitely the eleventh stroke, she thought, feeling its tone vibrate deep down into her bones. The twelfth, and final toll, would come any moment now…

_**BONG!**_

And a figure appeared in the center of the whirling mass of weather, standing directly above the clock face on the tower of city hall. _Silly_, Maddie thought absently, peering out the window through the heavy, slanting rain that had begun to fall. _Doesn't he know he'll get hit by the lightening if he stays up there?_

And then, another flash of lightening briefly illuminated the silhouette, and it was as though the entire town gasped collectively, holding its breath until the next brief glimpse of the being's face could be caught. For a moment, the entire population was on pause, suspended; and then, as though someone had pushed 'fast forward', the panic began.

"_**It's Pariah Dark! Run, run for your lives!**__"_

And above them, the lightening forked, the thunder rolled, and the malicious, self-proclaimed Ghost King cackled as he overlooked his soon-to-be new domain of Amity Park, Oregon.


	5. Who Will Save You Now?

_AN: Okay, here's the next chapter. It's really short, but never fear! Next chapter the plot moves along quite nicely- review and I'll have it up in only a week!_

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four: Who Will Save You Now?

"Yes," he rumbled, chuckling sadistically. "Yes, this will do nicely." Turning slightly, he nodded to an area where the shadows seemed to be even darker than the rest, blacker than night. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you," the dethroned King murmured, seemingly to himself. "I look forward to working with you in the future."

The shadows rustled slightly, and a deep voice rumbled from their depths. "_Just don't screw this up, Pariah Dark_," the voice warned, not sounding all too concerned. "_Remember, you have fallen before, and you are dispensable; there are plenty of willing, sociopathic souls out there who would be more than willing to take your place, should you fail._"

Pariah shifted nervously. "I will not fail," he assured the shadows with confidence. "With the Halfling gone, and the Fenton's refusing to use any sort of ghost technology that they label 'inhumane', this city is wide open to attack and, by proxy, conquest!"

"_Take care, Ghost King,_" the shadows seemed to grow deeper. "_If there is one thing I absolutely do not tolerate in my employees, it is failure. Failure makes me angry. It means I have to do my own dirty work, and that makes me angry. Do not make me angry, Pariah. Accomplish your task, for it is a simple one. If you succeed, then the human township of Amity will be under your command, once the new world order comes. But for the new world order to come, we need the key, and to find the key, we need the one who speaks with the Devil and calls him friend, alive, for he will lead us to our goal. Do not disappoint me, Pariah…_" the voice and the shadows faded away as the clouds drew back, revealing a veritable army of skeleton soldiers, poised and ready to attack. Pariah Dark cast a proud eye over his forces, and then gave the command.

"**Alright, men! Surround the town and block all possible exits! No one gets into this town, and,**" a twisted sneer grew on his face, "**No one gets **_**out.**_" Turning around and walking towards the service entrance stairway located on the roof to city hall, he chuckled darkly. "Not in one piece, anyway. Who will save you now, Amity Park, now that you have chased away your protector and have destroyed the only weapons that could have even slowed us down?" Descending down the dark stairwell, his low chuckle turned into a deep, booming cackle. "Who will save you now!?"

The sound of his laughter echoed throughout the corridors…

"_**Gah!" A hooded face stumbled back, away from the mirror where the last image shown was still fading.**_

"_**Sister Motoko!" A slightly smaller figure, also hooded, sprinted forward to catch the first before they made contact with the straw covered floor. Looking into the young dedicate's eyes, Sister Motoko wheezed and gasped for air, clutching desperately at the young initiate's robe. **_

"_**Gather the Council!" She croaked frantically. "They must be warned- it has begun! Oh, it has begun!"**_

_**And with that, she collapsed, sobbing, to the floor. The Temple dedicate looked up and locked eyes with one of the guards who stood at the door, wide-eyed. "You heard her!" he snapped. "Gather the Council of Mists! We must convene on what to do- and the Two must be warned. Yes," he trailed off, murmuring more quietly to himself.**_

**"_Above all, the Two must be warned!"_**

* * *

_Kali: So, who are the Two?_

_CE: Um... I'm not sure exactly... -Sweatdrop-_

_Kitten: I thought you said you had this thing all planned out!_

_CE: I did... but.. well... I lost control of it. Again. And now I'm just writing as I go. Again._

_Kali: That is just sad. -Shaking head-_

_CE: -Hangs head- I know... I know._


	6. The Return of a Hero

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Five: The Return of a Hero

It had been two days since the hostile take over of Amity Park, led by the false Ghost King, Pariah Dark. And although the take over itself had been hostile, Pariah had done a very strange thing; after the town had been completely cut off (the undead army had jammed radio signals, taken out the phone towers, and confiscated any device that could be a connection to the outside world) he had told the townspeople to go about their everyday lives as usual, save for following the few strict rules that he had put into place. The rules were simple, and well thought out- in other words, not Pariah's style at all. For instance, large gatherings of people (school, sports events, and parties) were forbidden. No one was to be out after 8pm on any night, alone or otherwise. They were to follow any order given to them by the soldiers, unless, of course, it conflicted with an order given by Pariah himself. In fact, the only rule that sounded even remotely like the self-involved ruler was that everyone who saw him was to stop what they were doing, bow, and call him 'Your Majesty'. And except for these few changes, quickly followed by the terrified townsfolk, life went on as per the status quo.

It was around two in the afternoon, and most people were sheltering in their houses. After all, the ghosts may have taken over the town, but they seemed to have no interest in terrifying the humans in their own homes, which made them the best place to avoid whatever ridiculous order the guards had come up with to amuse themselves with next. Because of this, there were very few people out and about on the sidewalks and such, which was a good thing, because at exactly two sixteen, the apparitions guarding the main road into town started to raise a fuss. Why, you ask?

Well, it could have had something to do with the heavily armored Landover zipping towards them at what had to be about twice the normal speed limit, which was one hundred and twenty miles per hour- if the cops weren't looking, that is.

The spooks sent an unfortunate human that was standing nearby (big, dumb looking blond guy holding a teddy bear, of all things) running off towards City Hall to inform the rest of the army that there were people heading for the city, and then formed a blockade, holding their large shields up in front of them to act as an extra barrier and calling for the rapidly approaching vehicle to stop.

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to do.

A slat in the roof of the heavily armored car pulled back, and someone raised their upper bodies out, balancing on something within the car. However, this is not what the spooks had their attention on. They were slightly more concerned about the large, green, _glowing_ rocket launcher that the figure was holding. Trembling, they looked up slightly and met the gaze of a young woman, about twenty, with her long chestnut hair pulled back into a tight braid and wearing what appeared to be an all-leather ensemble. The girl gave them a demented grin, armed the rocket launcher, braced it on her shoulder to aim…

And blew the blockade to tiny little smithereens.

The Landover tore into town, past the remains of the poorly erected gate, and swerved onto Main Street, where relaxing members of the ghoulish army stopped whatever they were doing and stared, slack-jawed, at the intruders.

The girl, still half in and half out of the vehicle, gave the slightly demented grin again and placed the now-empty rocket launcher back in the armored car, switching it in favor of a fully loaded, semi-automatic machine gun with a drum clip and extra belt rounds (1) of bullets that also glowed green. The black vehicle that was virtually a tank continued down the street, taking out every ghost that it saw along the way, while somehow managing to avoid harming the township's human inhabitants. After taking out roughly 200 ghosts, the majority of the otherworldly invasion force, it veered into a screeching halt directly in front of city hall. The girl ducked back into the vehicle, only to emerge seconds later with four other previously unseen passengers, all of them heavily armed and wearing black clothing that had clearly been modified for heavy combat. The girl who had been manning the weapons was now fully revealed. She had large, gray eyes the color of storm clouds, and was of about average height, with a long, sinuous body- she reminded one of a tiger, ready to pounce at any given moment, never fully relaxed; clearly a hunter. There were also two people who looked remarkably alike- a girl and a boy with flaxen hair and deep blue eyes, tall and well muscled- they were clearly used to hard work. There was another boy of about average height, with mousy brown hair and brown eyes, a light dusting of freckles sprinkled across the bridge of his nose, and deceptively scrawny- he was clearly built for speed, not strength. The final passenger, who had been driving, was a little taller than average, with broad shoulders, glossy mid-length black hair, and shockingly ice blue eyes. All were of about twenty years of age.

Samantha Manson, one of the few people who had been outside of their homes (she had been going to visit Tucker, but he wasn't home, for some reason) stared in shock at the last figure to leave the vehicle. Without thinking, she voiced (or rather, screeched) her assumption.

"_**Danny?!**_"

The figure didn't even flinch. Instead, he, along with rocket-launcher girl, began to issue commands to the other three. Within moments, all entrances to the building were covered and Danny had procured a megaphone form God-knows-where. Holding it up to his mouth, his electronically enhance voice began to speak.

"**Attention, hostile ghosts! This is Team Apocalytpo, of the Fumorii organization! We have you surrounded! Please surrender immediately in order to avoid a conflict in a heavily populated area!**"

Suddenly, a booming chuckle rolled around them, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Absently, Danny wondered how they did this- was there a book or something? 101 Ghostly Effects and Tricks to Freak Out Your Nemesis, maybe? His musings, however, were cut off when Pariah began to speak, leaning out of a window on the second floor.

"Danny Phantom!" He called, grinning. "What an honor- I must say, I never expected to be such high priority that they would send _your_ team! Or did you simply come for old time's sake?"

"Pariah Dark!" Danny called back, ignoring the subtle jabs, "You are violating Section Three, subsection Alpha, of the Ghost Zone-Third Earth Peace Treaty! You are hereby ordered to stand down! If you come peacefully, we will take it into deliberation when deciding your sentence!"

Pariah just laughed and gestured vaguely to the area behind Danny. "Perhaps! But how will you do that without violating the Secrecy Act yourself? Look around you! This is no longer a private party! Already, the town celebrates the return of its hero!" And indeed, the townsfolk had flooded out of their homes and into the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse and confirm for themselves that Danny Phantom had indeed, after five long years with no trace, returned to them.

Danny just rolled his eyes. "You haven't changed a bit, Pariah Dark!" He sounded quite annoyed, actually, not concerned about breaking this 'Secrecy Act' at all. "If I actually gave a rat's ass about that Act, would I even be here? Use your brain, you undead piece of shit!" Apparently, diplomacy had gone out the window at this point.

"Either way," the Ghost King replied, "I won't surrender- and I have hostages! Perhaps you remember your old friend Tucker Foley? Or your parents and sister, the Fentons? If you attempt to capture me, I will set off a device that will tear open a rift to the Ghost Zone using their life energy, killing them slowly and painfully, and making them ghosts as well!"

Danny just rolled his eyes. _You have got to be joking! All these years, and the best they can come up with is STILL 'we will destroy your family'?! Come on!_ Out loud, he voiced, "You really haven't changed, have you? Didn't you think I'd come up with a way around that pathetic plan after the third time it was tried? You'd think at some point you would at least _try_ to come up with something original!" This was intended to make Pariah lose his temper. Discreetly, he nodded to the female twin and the scrawny brunette, who nodded back and linked hands, phasing through the door and into the building. The male twin remained by the service exit, and the leather clad girl took up a position by the main doors. Danny smirked slightly and raised the megaphone again; probably to make sure Pariah got the message, Sam thought distantly.

"**Pariah Dark! We gave you the option of a peaceful surrender and you refused! In light of this, you will be taken into custody by force and removed to a secure location to await your trial! You have the right to an attorney! You have the right to a retrial! You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law! You are being charged with the following; disturbing the peace, attempting a hostile takeover, resisting arrest, inciting a hostage situation, traveling between the Ghost zone and Third Earth without the proper authorization, dangerous use of explosives, unlawful use of transdimensional portals, and violating the terms of your parole! Do you understand what I just told you?**"

Pariah just laughed, made a _very_ rude hand gesture, and called back, "Blow me!" However, the grin on his face faded when a shimmering light appeared beside Danny and solidified into the forms of the female twin, the scrawny brunette, and his hostages. Danny's smirk grew wider. "You were saying?"

Pariah paled (was that even possible for a ghost?) and stammered, "I, uh… I surrender?"

"Thought so. Please remove all weapons and exit the building through the main doors with your hands behind your head. The same goes for anyone in there with you."

And just like that, Amity Park was free, and once again being protected by one Danny Phantom (_not_ InvisoBill!).

* * *

_AN: I'm trying out a new style of narrative POV. Do you like it, or should I stick to the old one? I find this one much more tiring and confusing to figure out, but I also think it fits the story better, and that makes it worth the extra effort._

_On another note, WOOT! As of last chapter, 5 chapters and 20 reviews! That's an average of 5 reviews a chapter, and I didn't even need to threaten or bribe anyone! Thankyou to all of my loyal readers and my loyal reviewers! I couldn't do this without your continued feedback; this is really a group effort!_


	7. Anticlimatic

_AN: My friend Amanda wanted me to add a warning in her name, so I'll copy and paste it. "Warning: This chapter may cause your brain to explode from the overload of awsomeness". Yeah. The end._**

* * *

****The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Six: Anticlimactic

The entire township of Amity Park waited with bated breath for their tormentor and pseudo-ruler to exit City Hall. Only an observant few noticed the leather clad girl stride over to Danny and lean in to murmur, "It's _never_ this easy" Danny shifted uncomfortably and muttered back, "Trust me, Angel, I know. Better have your weapons ready, just in case. And make sure Kiva has the containment unit ready, okay? We don't want this asshole getting away _again_; it was embarrassing enough the first bloody time." Angel nodded the affirmative and lightly jogged over to the tall blond male, apparently named Kiva, and began speaking quickly to him in a low voice.

Meanwhile, Danny shifted slightly, put the megaphone away, and grabbed a black duffel bag out of the Landover. Unzipping the catch, he reached in and pulled out two sets of throwing knives, which he quickly strapped to his left arm and right leg. Satisfied, he resumed his original position about thirty feet away from the door. Of course, he didn't stay there for long, as the large glass doors he stood facing exploded outwards in a display of splintered wood, twisted metal, and shattered glass, showering everyone within forty feet. From within the smoke, hidden from sight, Pariah Dark's devious chuckle rang out over them.

Danny and Angel reacted instantly. Yelling for Kali and Spud to cover crowd control (the tall blonde and scrawny brunette began herding people away from the center of town, towards the warehouse district), he darted forward, quickly joined by the stormy young woman as they charged towards the debris.

"Angel!" Danny called, about ten feet from the rubble, "Clear the way!" Angel's pupils expanded until her eyes were entirely charcoal black. Something strange glinted deep within her gaze, and a stiff breeze picked up, existing only long enough to whip the smoke and dust particles away and out of the town square, before dieing down again. However, they quickly wished the smoke was still in place, as they were met with the pleasant view of Pariah and a small, quivering little man who somewhat resembled a rat, grinning at them from within the ruins of the lobby. Giving them a devilish grin, Pariah raised his hands and charged off a strange looking ectoblast.

And by strange, he meant a large, sideways twirling, _black_ mass of energy that disturbingly resembled a whirlpool and was now hurtling straight towards the two young warriors.

"Shit!" Danny swore, ducking and rolling to the right to avoid it while Angel did the same to the left. "I thought you said he could only do normal blasts!" a distressed Angel cried, her voice dieing away when she saw it hit the flagpole. The flagpole flashed brightly white for a second, then promptly shattered into apocalyptic dust. "Well," Danny called back, sounding irritated, "it must be a new power!"

"What do we do, then?"

"Oh, gee," He responded dryly. "I don't know! How about we try _avoiding_ them?!"

"No need to get bitchy about it!" she looked back to get an idea of Pariah's position, only to witness a significantly larger whirlpool-of-doom (as she had immediately named them) heading straight for her partner.

"_**Danny!**_" was all he heard before he ducked, the whirlpool barely missing his head. Eyes wide, he looked back only to discover another heading his way, with a very angry Ghost King not far behind.

"Shit!" he swore again, before taking off in the opposite direction. "Some help would be nice!" he bellowed at Angel, who was, unfortunately, somewhat distracted by the ratty looking man, who now held a glowing red staff with black electricity crawling and sparking over both ends. He was distracted however, when he ran into something disturbingly solid. Looking up, his heart sank.

He had just run into the side of Casper High.

_I always knew high school would be the death of me,_ he thought caustically. _Looks like I was right._ Frustrated, he tried to phase through the wall, only to pull quickly backwards when he received a nasty shock.

"A ghost shield? God_damnit_!" He cursed, whipping around and dodging to the side just in time to avoid the whirlpool. Crouching in the bushes he had landed in, he quickly summoned an ecto-sword and lunged at Pariah. Danny grinned craftily; this was _blades._ This was _familiar._

This was a whole new game.

And Pariah, unfortunately for him, did _not_ have the odds on his side.

And so a new pattern emerged; Danny would thrust, Pariah would parry and thrust back, forcing Danny to parry also. It seemed that the two were too evenly matched in swordplay for there to be a clear winner declared on this battlefield. It seemed the fight had come down to whoever could keep fighting the longest.

Until Angel jumped and tackled the ghost from the side, knocking him over and startling him long enough for Kiva to suck him into what appeared to be a pimped out Fenton Thermos.

"Well," Danny said, standing up and flicking his sweaty bangs out of his eyes. The next statement seemed rather annoyed, and more than a little disappointed.

"_That _was rather anticlimactic."

* * *

_AN: I know that this is short- it isn't even 900 words, and you have NO idea how sorry I am. However, I suck at fight scenes, and I wanted this to be as good as it could be, so I edited and re-edited and I feel like I poured all of myself into this chapter and now I'm all gone. Please tell me- was it worth it? Has the quality improved at all, or should I stick to my other style? Please share your opinions, because I can't keep writing at this level without some sort on feedback- I'm exhausted, and I'll burn myself out if I do. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it was worth it. I'm going to bed now, so I can enjoy my coma in peace._


	8. Supernatural Toilet?

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Seven: Supernatural Toilet?

"Erm…" Kiva spoke up for the first time, revealing a deep voice that somehow suited him perfectly. "I know that we got this guy," he held up the Thermos and shook it, ignoring the curses that could be heard from within. "But, what happened to the guy that attacked Angel?"

Angel and Danny looked at each other. "Um…" Angel started, but was cut off by Spud pointing down the main road which they had barrelled down not twenty minutes before.

"_He's making a break for it!"_

Immediately Danny's right hand snatched a throwing knife from the set strapped to his other arm and he spun, using the extra momentum to hurl it directly at the fleeing male. His effort was rewarded when a sharp cry tore from the man, who promptly hit the dirt and clutched his leg.

"Nice aim." Observed Angel. "Looks like you _just_ missed the femoral artery."

"What are you talking about?" Danny grumbled. "I _missed._" Angel just raised an eyebrow and motioned to Spud to retrieve the fugitive. Then she got a look at Danny's arm.

"Danny, you're hurt!" Danny blinked and tilted his head. "Am I?" He looked at his arm and paled. "Ah. It would seem I am." Electrical burns were running up both of his arms, disappearing under the sleeves. More burns could be seen on his chest and legs through small tears in the fabric.

"Dammit," Angel swore. "Kali, call HQ and inform them that we have the targets in custody, and get the containment unit into a transport case so we can get the hell out of here. You," here she turned to Danny. "Back to the truck. We need to get those wrapped; what are they from, anyway?" Danny shrugged, wincing as the action agitated the burns. "Someone had a ghost shield up around the school. I didn't realize and tried to phase through it, and got a bit of a shock. They probably turned up then."

"A bit of a shock, he says." Angel grumbled, pushing him towards the black car. "A bit of a shock. It was more than a bit of a shock, look at the goddamn burns…" Danny interrupted.

"Are you aware I can hear you?"

"Shut up and walk!"

Meanwhile, Kali was standing off to the side holding a cell phone to her ear. "Yes," she murmured softly, "It would seem our transport unit was damaged in our initial arrival in the quarantined zone. How long will it take for a new one to arrive?" She waited a moment. "Is there no way we can get one here faster? I don't think you realize what our situation is, exactly. Midsummer is coming up. We absolutely must be back in Meridian before then. No, I can't tell you why, it's confidential. Because I'm a Fifth Variant and you're an Apprentice, that's why!" She snapped, then paused. "Two weeks? Dammit, that's not soon enough. We're in a heavily populated area and we need to be out of here by the nineteenth, or every bad guy with a vendetta is gonna be swarming all over us! Fine, see what you can do. Yes. Call when you have something. Right, bye."

Hanging up the phone, she walked over to Kiva and Spud, and began speaking quickly. Both boy's eyes widened and they paled, looking towards the Landover where Angel was tying off Danny's bandages. As a trio, they set off towards the truck and explained the situation in low voices. Danny and Angel also paled, but then Danny spoke up.

"Well, there isn't really that much we can do, is there? We'll wait and see if they can get a transport case out here sooner, but if not, we'll just have to deal with it. I'd rather it didn't happen here, but in the end, the outcome will be the same anyway." Kiva and Kali looked confused, but Spud merely nodded glumly. "Are you sure there's no other way?" Both of the two in the truck shook their heads negative. "Well then," Danny hopped off the truck and walked out a ways, standing in the center of the square in front of the remains of City Hall. "Looks like we're stuck here for the next two weeks. Welcome to Amity Park," he smirked. "The world's biggest supernatural toilet."

"Goodie," Angel quipped. "I'm not cleaning it up."

* * *

_AN: And just because I love you all so much, I'm updating early. Reviews are wonderful encouragement- they make me feel all warm and tingly, and then I feel not so bad about making the characters miserable. Also, they make Kali shut up about how pathetic it is that I can't my mind up about whether or not I'm going to do a sequel._


	9. Welcome Home

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Eight: Welcome Home

Maddie Fenton stared in shock as her son effortlessly took down a criminal, almost crippling the poor man without even flinching. She herself flinched at his next words.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was crisp, cold. "I _missed_."

Dear God, what had he become? What could possibly have happened to him in the last five years to make him so, so _jaded_? Sure, her baby boy had been sarcastic, bitingly so at times, but he had never been cruel. He had been a sweet, caring, sensitive boy, always worrying about others before himself. Maybe that was the problem. He had been sweet, caring and sensitive. He had been all these things and more. He had sacrificed himself for them, body and soul, time and time again, and look what it had gotten him.

They had abandoned him. Even knowing that he would never abandon them, they had seen their hero in his time of need…

And they had done nothing.

How foolish they had been, how selfish, to believe that because he had protected them from outside threats, he would also protect them from inside threats. The only problem with that belief was, how could you save someone who didn't want saving? How could you save someone from themselves, when they thought you were the greatest threat to their continued existence and safety? Was it even possible?

And most importantly, after what they had done (or hadn't done, as the case may be), did they even _deserve_ to be saved? Everyone needed saving sometimes, even heroes, but they had seen their own hero fall and had stood by and done nothing. Perhaps they weren't worth saving. Certainly they had all felt worthless, after he left, and it was a feeling that lingered even after his somewhat reluctant return.

And yet his return was bittersweet, for although it was indeed him (the ghost shield had proven that; they had left it up around the school for just-in-case scenarios), it wasn't. This tall, slim, fit man couldn't possibly be her short, scrawny, awkward son of fifteen- he just _couldn't_ be. Could time really have changed him so much?

Tucker, who had been standing next to her (and who had gotten rid of that awful beret, thankfully), stepped forward, and with a slight crack to his voice, spoke the question on everyone's minds in a single word.

"Danny?"

The raven haired stranger's head turned from its position facing the slightly shorter girl (clad all in form hugging black leather, the mother in her noted disapprovingly) to look at his childhood friend.

"Tucker," he greeted with a small nod. "Hey, man. Wish I could say it's good to see you again, but considering the circumstances-_ oof_!" His surprisingly casual statement was cut off when he was tackled by a lithe, dark haired woman with violet eyes.

"Sam?" he gasped, back pedaling to avoid being knocked over by the force of the woman's rather enthusiastic greeting.

"Danny!" She sobbed, almost strangling him (no way in _hell_ was she ever gonna let go of him again, she thought fiercely). "I was so scared! I thought I'd never see you again, 'cause you killed Walker and then you just disappeared and I never got the chance to apologize and we couldn't find you no matter how hard we looked, and _**oh God, I'm so sorry!**_"

"Ahem." A small throat clearing interrupted her session of 'soak Danny's shirt'. Angel stood next to them with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "I don't mean to be rude," she started, but Sam cut her off by snapping, "Then stop interrupting!"

Danny had been pretty quiet up to this point, but when Sam snapped at Angel his eyes narrowed and he pried her off of him and stepped back, wrapping an arm around Angel's shoulders as he did so. "If you have a problem with Angel," his voice was low, warning. "Then you have a problem with _me_. But then," he added, almost as an afterthought, "That's nothing new, is it?"

Sam winced at the subtle, but harsh, reminder of what she had done to the boy she had loved. To the boy she still loved, despite his obvious changes in attitude and appearance. As her eyes roamed appreciatively over some of those 'changes', Danny shrugged in response to a question Angel had asked him. The action caused his bandages, already loosened by her 'apology' to come looser still and slide down his arm, pooling around his slim wrist and exposing his arm to her view. Involuntarily, she gasped and drew back.

His arm was covered in terrible scars. Nowhere could she see a piece of unmarked flesh; every inch had been claimed by some form of burn, cut, bruise, scar, or other wound, and over it all, the electrical burns from the ghost shield curled and wove together in a terrible, sickening dance.

Hearing her gasp, Danny turned to look at her. Following her gaze, he saw the object of her horror, and his eyes dimmed. He brought his other hand up and grasped the arm, as though in an attempt to hide it, and turned to Angel. She looked at him sympathetically.

"Come on, I'll fix it," she told him. Turning to the twins, she called, "Can you guys find a hotel or something? We're all tired, and I highly doubt any of us feel like sleeping in the truck tonight." The twins nodded their agreement before turning to head off in search of a place for the five of them to stay. This action, however, was cut off when Maddie stepped forward and blurted out, "You can all stay with us!"

Silence reigned.

Finally, Kiva regained his voice. "I- I beg your pardon?" he stammered, sounding disbelieving. Maddie repeated her offer, Jack coming up to stand beside her and nodding his agreement. For the first time, Danny was struck by just how old his parents had become. The five friends looked at each other uncertainly, the other three members silently but clearly deferring to the judgement of Danny and Angel. The two looked at each other, both searching for some sign of approval in the others face. Angel, evidently finding something (or just not caring that she didn't) stepped forward to face the Fenton's, both of whom had hesitant smiles on their faces.

"Mr and Mrs Fenton," she began, pausing when their smiles faltered. Heaving a sigh, she smiled dubiously back at him.

"We'd be happy to stay with you." As the Fenton's faces lit up in unrestrained joy, the entire town cheered loudly.

Not one resident of Amity Park noticed Danny's eyes close in resignation as he cursed softly.

However, jealous eyes _did_ notice when Angel looked at him sympathetically, and he reached over to clasp her hand in a firm embrace.

* * *

_AN: OMG I am so, so, SO sorry that this was late! I've been busy all weekend, plus working on a new story idea which is a complete departure from anything I've ever tried... it's an original, so I'll have TFTF on priority, but I don't seem to have much control over my priorities these days... next update will be a day early, to make up for this one being a day late._


	10. Scars Unseen

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Nine: Scars Unseen

In the Landover, five tired, injured, and confused teens were following the Fenton RV to Fentonworks. When they pulled to a stop in front of the large brick building and stepped out, Danny just stopped and stared. After a few moments, and a detailed examination of the new sign, he finally voiced his thoughts as the Fenton's stood nearby, waiting for his reaction.

"What the _hell_?!" He sounded strangled, shocked by the changes. Actually, he was mostly shocked by the change in profession. This was proven when he turned to look at his parents, wide eyed, and asked, "Ghost _trackers?_ When did this happen? What happened to 'destroy them all'?" He sounded incredulous.

His parents shifted uncomfortably. "Well," his father began, and again Danny was struck by the toll the last five years had taken on him. "Frankly, _you_ happened. When we found out about… well, you know. When we found out, we were so blinded by our hate for all ghosts that we never stopped to consider that maybe we could be wrong. After we found out and still tried to hurt you… we didn't want to be part of anything that could make us so narrow minded that we would willingly try to destroy our son."

Maddie smiled softly. "We don't blame you for leaving, sweetie. We deserved it- with the way you were treated, even if we didn't know it was you… well, I would have taken off long before, I know that much. We don't expect you to forgive us, but I hope that maybe…" Tears came to her eyes. "I hope that maybe you could see this as your home again."

Danny frowned and looked away. "I have a home," he stated coldly. "And it's good that you don't expect to be forgiven, because I don't think I ever can forgive what you did to me. I can't forget, or pretend it didn't happen." He looked back at them. "But," his eyes softened, "I might be able to get over it. Eventually. Just promise me that," Here he cracked a small smile. "The leftovers won't try to eat me."

Maddie chuckled through her tears. "I can't make that promise. If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's my cooking ability, or lack thereof." Still laughing, she led the way inside, followed by the five travellers, who remained silent and withdrawn, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. Unfortunately, Maddie reflected,things were going to be tense for awhile, now that they all had to get used to one another, some for the first time, and others for a retrial of sorts.

However, she reflected while leading them to their rooms (girls with Jazz, boys in Danny's room), she would gladly deal with any amount of tension to have her baby boy back.

_**DPDPDPDPDP**_

Maddie shifted uneasily in her spot on the couch later that night while drinking her tea, surrounded by her family, and the strangers she had taken in. Sadly, she noted that she still wasn't sure which category she considered Danny to be in. Staring discreetly at her son over the rim of her cup, she started when his ice blues flicked up to meet her gaze, and he stated dully, "Go ahead and ask, or stop staring at me. It's creepy."

"Um…" Okay, so she had _thought_ she was being discreet, anyway. "Those scars on your arm… where did they… what…" Quickly, she found herself becoming flustered. How exactly did one ask their estranged son of five years why their arms looked like hamburger meat? Thankfully, Danny helped her out.

"Where did the scars on my arms come from, you mean?" She nodded, then paused. "Wait, you mean both of your arms look like… well, like that?" He nodded. "And my legs, and my chest, and my back." He continued, snorting derisively. "They're everywhere, they're everywhere." For a long while, he was silent, occasionally sipping at his now cooled tea. Just as she was about to forget about the question, he spoke, but his voice had changed. It was cold now, flat and emotionless and not suited to Danny at all.

"There was a war," he spoke at last, woodenly. "Our capital was attacked by the Purists… people who want the Fumorii to disappear. People who hate us because of our powers; they believe we are a plague that must be eliminated. A large force attacked Ascarle out of the blue one day. There was no warning, and no way for us to be ready. We tried to fight back, but they had agents inside. No matter how you spin it, we lost. We were massively outnumbered and outmanuvered and our enemy took advantage of that." Briefly, he closed his eyes, and an expression of deep grief and regret passed over his face. "Some managed to escape. Many did not, and they were massacred. No one was spared. Women and children were murdered in the streets, burned to death in their homes. Men were torn apart… it was horrible. It was _hell_. But not everyone was killed. Some were taken prisoner, and held captive at the Purist base. They… they wanted information, about our military movements, and our other bases. No one talked, so they resorted to more… effective methods." He was silent for a moment. "I was one of the ones taken."

For the first time, Jasmine spoke. "You mean they tortured you," she stated flatly.

"Yes."

Maddie and Jazz stared in horror at the boy- no, the man. How could he sit there and deal with it so calmly?

"The Fumorii nearly died that day," he continued, oblivious to their concerned looks. "Only two of the original two thousand were ever found alive. Angel and I found each other, and we rebuilt the dream; a place where people who were gifted with powers could live in peace, a normal existence, without worrying about whether or not they would wake up alive. We found others, like us, and we built a new capital. The capital grew as more and more people found us, seeking shelter, amnesty, and anonymity. Now, the Fumorii are the strongest in our history." As he spoke, his voice gained strength, and he and Angel shared a look of pride mingled with regret.

That's when Spud entered the conversation. "They found me in New York, nearly beaten to death by a bunch of thugs who wanted me to help them rob a bank. Kali and Kiva, who you've probably guessed, are fraternal twins. They found them while I was still recovering, so I've only heard, but they were being chased by an angry mob in Ginko, who blamed them for the river drying up and the crops failing." He snorted, "If they had thought to look a bit up the river, they would have found that a pair of beavers had built their dam, blocking the flow of water. No one wanted us, and they tried everything to get rid of us. Danny and Angel made us realize that we aren't freaks of nature, or monsters. We're just different. When I think about what would have happened if they hadn't found us…" he heaved a sigh. "They saved me. They saved all of us."

They all sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Then Danny stood and said, "Alright, guys, it's time for bed. We have to be up early tomorrow to map out the town and set up a patrol route; we can't afford anyone else getting stupid ideas, at least until we hear back from HQ." Angel spoke up. "Who's got which watch?" Ignoring Kali giggling, "Try saying _that_ ten times fast," behind him, Kiva spoke up for first. Spud agreed to take second, with Kali taking third. Danny and Angel agreed to do both fourth and fifth watch together, to make sure neither of them fell asleep. With this agreed, everyone said goodnight and went to bed.

* * *

_AN: There you go, one day early as promised. This chapter was mostly just filling out the history a bit more, and establishing relationships within and between the groups. I apologize, but filler IS sometimes necessary. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as this story is about halfway done. I think. I'm still writing as I go here, people. Please review!_


	11. Knight in Shining Armour

_AN: Omg, I'm late again. And I don't have the next chapter typed in reserve yet, which I normally do. I suck. Sorry._

**

* * *

**

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Ten: Knight in Shining Armour

It was close to one in the morning, and Samantha Manson couldn't sleep. Having opted to crash on the couch at the Fenton's (conveniently located in the somewhat eerie second lab), she had tossed and turned for several hours before finally coming to the conclusion that…

She couldn't sleep.

Yay.

So here she was, sipping cocoa in the dimly lit kitchen of the Fenton's, dressed in an old set of sweats with her hair pulled back in a messy bun at the crown of her head. Violet eyes with dark bags beneath them scanned the room, reminiscing over how much had happened in the last few days.

Lost in her memories, the twenty year old started when another presence entered the kitchen. Turning slightly, she saw a dishevelled young blonde standing awkwardly at the doorway, eyeing her apprehensively. Seeming to find her no threat, the blonde (whom she distantly recalled was named Kali) gestured to her cup of steaming bittersweetness and asked in a smooth voice, "Mind if I have some?"

"Not at all," Sam replied, standing to grab the box of powdered chocolate and put some more water on to boil.

A few moments later the two of them were sitting in companionable silence, drinking identical mugs of steaming bittersweetness. After a while, Kali speaks up. "So," she asked, "You know Danny?"

"Yes, Danny and I used to be best friends before he left," Sam murmured in reply, setting her cocoa down. She peered drowsily at the girl. "How has he been?" She asked hesitantly, "These last few years, I mean."

"As well as can be expected," Kali smiled at her warmly, setting her cocoa down also. "He's done quite well for himself, you know. Leader of a large organization, a powerful warrior, married to Angel…" she trailed off, and her smile faded. "But… I don't think he's happy."

"Why not?"

"Because he spends every moment fighting. Fighting himself. Fighting others. It doesn't matter, he's still fighting. Him and his stupid saving people thing, it's going to get him killed one of these days," she chuckled. "I supposed that choice of words is ironic."

"Ironic?" Sam's curiosity was peaked, despite the morbidity of the discussion. "How so?"

"The prophecy of course." Seeing her companion's confusion, she hastened on. "Five hundred years ago, at the rise of the Fumorii, there was a prophecy written about the end of the world… and how it could be prevented. Not permanently, mind you. But a way for the world to earn a second chance, a new start, in the hopes that maybe humanity would do a better job after a revelation that would come at the cost if its two greatest treasures. The two treasures were said to be the one who could speak with the Devil and call him friend- that's Danny. His name, Daniel, is a derivation of Damien, which means Demon- in other words, the one who can speak with the Devil and call him friend. The other treasure was said to be a void that existed everywhere at once, which is kindof an oxymoron. Angel's real name is Kan'na- in the Old Speech, that means void, and she's travelled literally everywhere." Kali snorted. "Benefit of being insanely good at avoiding Death, I suppose."

Sam was in shock. "Danny… He's going to die?!" Tears gathered in her eyes; please, God, no- she couldn't possibly lose him so soon after finally finding him again, she couldn't!

"Not necessarily," Kali responded. "They have a choice. If they choose to die, then the world will get a second chance. If they choose not to, the world won't get a revelation, and it will continue on its current path. The path that the world is currently on leads to war, death, and ultimately destruction. But the outcome is already decided. Danny will choose to die, and Angel will choose to die with him, because that's just what they do."

Sam was in shock; this was just too much to take in. "But why would he want to save us, after what we did? He has every reason to let us destroy ourselves, and since all of you have had bad experiences with people, I bet Angel does, too!"

"Oh, her father tried to burn her at the stake screaming about her being a witch, while her mom watched and laughed," Kali said. "As far as Angel and Danny go, they had it worse than most of us. But they'll save you all anyway. As far as the 'why' goes… they're Angel and Danny. Do they need any other reason? Helping people is their only reason for continuing to exist, and they would do anything to help someone. They'll save you, _Danny_ will save you, just because he's Danny, and it's what he does. Get it?"

Sam sat in silent thought. Danny, the hero. Danny, the dork with the saving people thing. Danny, with his honour code that he'll always follow, even if it isn't his code to honour. Danny the Defender. Danny the Leader. Danny, the knight in cold but shining armour, armour made of ice so cold it damn well _burns._

Damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.

Yes. She gets it.


	12. Can You Save Them All?

_AN: It was pointed out to me in a review that in the last chapter I mentioned Daniel was a derivation of Damien, which is not true. I am aware of this. Keep in mind that he has spent the last five years hopping around dimensions, and that things can have different meanings in different places and cultures. It is entirely possible that he did indeed come across a dimension where Daniel is a derivation of Damien, and this is the dimension in which the prophecy was made._

_ Hope I cleared that up a bit. Enjoy._

**

* * *

**

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Eleven: Can You Save Them All?

It had been three days since Maddie Fenton had blurted out her impromptu invitation and gained herself five unusual house guests. Considering her rather strange career choices and the things she had seen while pursuing those career choices, for Maddie to call something unusual with no hesitation was… well, it said a lot about whatever situation she was commenting on. Things had been rather tense, she admitted to herself, but overall, it was working out rather well. Samantha had been acting rather strangely, that was true- but considering the circumstances, who wouldn't? And really, it wasn't that weird for her to be a bit upset, because although she had never given up on Danny (having admitted to herself that she really loved him, after he left), he had given up on her. He was a married man now, as strange as that seemed, and Sam? Well, Sam was simply the girl from yesterday.

Angel was a very sweet girl, she thought. A bit quiet, but then again, they all were. It didn't stop them from being almost disturbingly observant, however; in three days, their five guests had learned all of their habits off by heart while somehow managing to keep from giving away a single scrap of information about themselves. It was an instinct often developed by experienced warriors, people who were used to being betrayed, to having to watch their backs every second of everyday. It worried her that these people, who were little more than children, had developed that instinct to such an advanced level that they could use it almost without thinking.

The most disturbing thing of all, however, was Danny's behaviour towards them. Things were tense, certainly, but it almost seemed like he was going out of his way to avoid getting to close to any of the people he had left behind all those years ago. He acted as though he had been away for a long time, and had come back only to visit for a short while. Logically, Madeline knew he would have to leave again- he had to return to wherever he had been the last few years and continue to run the organization he had rebuilt from the ground up. There were few times that she could remember being as proud of her son as she had been when Spud had told that story. Danny, of course, had been embarrassed and tried to downplay his part in everything, as had Angel; his modesty, at least, hadn't changed.

There was a lot about her son that hadn't changed, if you look closely enough. However, a lot about him had changed considerably, and not all of these changes were visible; perhaps that was why she was so surprised when her son trotted down the stairs the first morning wearing a pair of wire rimmed glasses that made him look rather like Harry Potter. When he saw her curious look, combined with Jazz conveniently dropping her plate and screeching, "What the hell?!", he calmly explained that a few too many flash bangs had gone off in his face and proceeded to sit at the table and consume back coffee so thick you could pave roads with it.

Needless to say, _that_ comment hadn't gone over well, nevermind the fact that he was drinking coffee, which he wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole before… well, before.

Perhaps, however, the biggest shock of all came when she stumbled down the stairs at 7 am on the third morning to find her son awake, dressed, and cross-legged on the couch engrossed in a book labelled, Quantum Physics and Common Battle Applications, while Angel was draped over the back focused on Fighting Flora; Battle Plants and Where to Find Them. She had to raise an eyebrow at that one, but sensibly decided that she didn't want to know. Greeting them with a mumble and a yawn, she continued into the kitchen to find coffee already made and the other three house guests sitting at the table surrounded by paperwork.

"G'morning, Mrs. Fenton," they chorused from among the spreadsheets. When she inquired what they were doing, Kiva's head materialized from behind a particularly large stack of sheets covered in mathematical formulas. "I'm doing up the report for Pariah's capture, Spud's doing up the report for the accomplice, and Kali is filing for replacement equipment for the stuff we used in the aforementioned captures."

"Ah. I see," she responded. "And you have to do this every time you do a… job?" She still wasn't sure what to call it.

"You mean a mission? Nah, only the really high profile ones. Normally this guy wouldn't qualify, but putting an entire town under house arrest isn't exactly subtle. We don't even get that many missions, really; most of them are handled by lower field teams."

"And what do you do when you aren't on missions?"

"Well we go home, meet with friends, file reports on our missions; oh, and work, of course. We do have jobs, you know; Fumorii society is run by a different set of rules, but everyone has to do their share."

"What sort of jobs?"

"Well, Kali here is a tailor. She does custom clothes and costumes and such for high profile gatherings," Spud responded. "Kiva is an archaeologist, specifically material from Abydos. And I'm a techmonkey," he grinned. "I work with complicated computers to keep all the systems in the main compounds running; life support and electricity and the like."

Maddie was fascinated; she was learning more in one conversation than in the last three days; indeed, in the last five years. "And Danny and Angel? What do they do?"

"You'll never guess," Danny snickered, appearing in the doorway behind her in search of more coffee. "Angel is a physicist, designs new battle technology, as well as working in Rituals. And I'm an English professor, specifically university level material." He chuckled at her astonished look. "You needn't be so surprised; it's not like you're terribly quiet in the mornings. Besides, I always like English, Maddie; Lancer was just a git, it was _him_ I didn't like. Knowledge is power. Your knowledge is something that can never be taken away from you."

"Well," Angel quipped, "They could give you a lobotomy."

"Oh, _thanks_," he replied, rolling his eyes.

That was another thing that annoyed her; he still called her 'Maddie'. It was warmer now than before, certainly, but it was still disconcerting coming from a grown up version of the toddler who had looked up at her with those baby blues and questioned, "Mommy?" whenever he had a nightmare. But this man was not that boy, and she had to accept that maybe, just maybe, he had grown up without her.

She had to accept that maybe, God forbid, he didn't need her anymore.

But that didn't change the fact that she needed him. Not to take care of her, or to protect her as he had done for so long without her knowing. No, she needed him simply to forgive her, to look her in the eyes and tell her it wasn't her fault that he left, to tell her that he didn't blame her. She needed him to save her from her own conscience and tell her that everything would be okay.

He didn't trust her yet, not really, and there could be no forgiveness without trust. But that was okay, because he was back, and he was alive, just like she had prayed for so many years, and it didn't matter if he didn't trust her now because they had all the time in the world to get to know each other again. To be a mother and her son again.

Little did she know that the clock was ticking, counting down the moments until she would once again be separated from her child, this time by a far more permanent barrier.

And somewhere, in a place beyond time and measure, a voice spoke from the darkness.

"_**I'm coming for you, Phantom and Angel. Are you ready? Can you save them all?"**_ A deep laugh rolled through universes and everyone who heard it shivered.

"_**Can you save yourselves?"**_


	13. A Talent for Understatement

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Twelve: A Talent for Understatement

On the fifth day, Kiva snapped. This in itself was unusual; the duration of his stay at Fenton works so far had proven him to be the quietest and most soft spoken member of the group aside from Danny, who only engaged in witty banter during battle and with Angel. If this was strange, however, stranger still was the topic of his imminent explosion.

"_What the hell is with the weirdo clothes in this screwed up dimension?!"_

Silence reigned.

Danny broke the silence with a polite cough. "Kiva," he reprimanded lightly. "You know as well as I do that we have to wear the clothes styled to the dimension we're in, in order to avoid detection by the Purists. We need to blend in."

"Yes," Kiva snapped, "Because we're doing _such_ a good job of that already. We tore into town in a vehicle that is clearly military, bearing swords, machine guns, and a freaking _rocket launcher_, used a _megaphone_ to call Pariah out, _blew up City Hall_; dude, I think our cover's been blown already! If they don't know we're here yet, there is something _very wrong with this situation_."

"Be that as it may," Danny began, only to have his statement finished by Angel.

"The situation remains as such that we need to at least try to stay under the radar. Or have you forgotten what happens in…" she checked her sports watch. "Four days? After that, you won't have to put up with us anymore, anyway."

The other three got very quiet. Danny, once again, broke the silence. "Come on guys, lighten up! I'm actually kind of looking forward to retiring; I'm tired of fighting anyways. And we don't know for sure how it'll go down, so don't go assuming the worst."

"Wait," Kali piped up. "You're the ones who taught us to assume the worst at all times. You don't get to change your mind now!"

"We said to always _plan _for the worst, but hope for the best," Angel corrected. "Expect the unexpected, be ready for anything, nothing to be afraid of but ignorance… any of this ringing a bell? Even a little bit?"

"Well, it's not like any of your precious lessons are going to help us during the battle," Kiva sulked. When Spud didn't back him up, he glanced over suspiciously and saw him hang his head. "Great, now why do I get the feeling you all know something Kali and I don't?"

"Because we do," Angel responded. "But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

"Will we find out in _time_?" Kali inquired. Danny only grinned. "You're not asking the right questions," he chuckled.

"_What are the right questions?!"_ No doubt, the twins were getting really annoyed now. However, Danny only grinned wider while Angel cackled next to him.

"Not the ones you're asking." If there was no doubt that the twins were getting annoyed, then there was even less doubt that Danny and Angel were having a blast egging them on. Maddie watched them with a mixture of trepidation and amusement. "What do you mean, retiring?" At her question, everyone exchanged uneasy glances and Sam fidgeted next to her. Sensing an awkward topic, her motherly instincts kicked in and she turned to Sam, giving her that look which seems to activate the second one gives birth.

It was the look every teenager dreads. It was the one you went to insane lengths to avoid, ignore, or otherwise pretend it wasn't there so that you wouldn't have to rat out your friends. It was that creepy parent look which only a mother could pull off with any varying degree of success. It was the I'm Your Mother So Tell Me What I Want To Know look. And Sam, despite being neither a teenager nor child to Madeline Fenton, had never developed any sort of immunity to that particular look from that particular woman. This was unfortunate, since she was the one currently being scrutinized by that piercing violet gaze.

Oh dear. Sam was usually very good at keeping secrets, but then again, she was not usually being quizzed by Ace Detective Fenton… without backup. Danny, however, took pity on her and quickly explained the whole thing, leaving the tale as vague and devoid of detail as possible. When he was done, Maddie clutched at the chair in front of her for support and stared at him, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

"Er… Maddie?"

And with that, Madeline Fenton, Ghost Hunter turned Ghost Tracker extraordinaire, mother to two children and a successful scientist and inventor in her own right, closed her eyes and fainted dead away.

All occupants in the room gazed at her in surprise. Only Angel had the capacity to speak, and when she did she summed up the situation quite nicely.

"Oh dear."

Well, no one ever said she didn't have a talent for understatement.


	14. Betrayals Come in Threes

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Thirteen: Betrayals Come in Threes

It was dark when Danny awoke. Now, this in itself was not unusual; Danny quite often rose before the sun, almost everyday in fact. Years of battle plans that began with, 'We attack at dawn' had to take their toll sooner or later, he supposed. No, what was unusual about this was that when Danny awoke, it was _completely_ dark, not a speck of light anywhere. No matter where you go, there is always at least a little bit of light; this is invariably true, even in space. And yet, here he was, in total darkness.

Another strange thing was the lack of air movement. Ever since he left his family he had taught himself to be super sensitive to the movement of the air currents; after all, when an enemy moved to attack you the air still moved, no matter how silent or invisible they may be. However, there was no detectable air flow wherever he was.

Calmly he reasoned out his situation. Total darkness and no air currents; he was in a very small space. Strangely, he didn't seem to be curled up; perhaps a containment chamber? He did not recall how he got here, or being attacked, so clearly he had been moved in his sleep, and in order for this to happen without him waking up he would have had to be drugged or gassed. He always tested his food for drugs; gas, then. Someone had clearly gone through a lot of trouble to pull this off without hurting him, so it couldn't be one of his enemies.

_No._

Oh God, they wouldn't… would they? Suddenly Danny remembered seeing something that looked vaguely like a containment chamber in the corner of the Fenton's second lab, which he had pointedly avoided. It wouldn't be that difficult for them to manufacture a substance to put him and his friends to sleep while he was moved, certainly; after all, they had plenty of experience.

But why would they? What reason could they possibly have to trap him like this? His stomach lurched, and Danny was hit with the unpleasant sensation that one usually has before being sick. Thankfully, he managed to keep his stomach contents down and sensibly decided that perhaps his time would be better spent trying to get out. With this comforting thought in mind, he immediately tried to phase through the cool, slightly curved surface to his left, which he guessed to be a wall.

"_Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" _

Danny screamed out in agony as every nerve in his body was hit with five thousand volts of electricity; an unfortunate feeling in any situation, and only made worse by the return of the previous nausea. Spasming and shaking, he curled up into a small ball and waited for the pain to subside. Another wave of pain hit him when he accidentally jerked his head to the side, an inadvertent reaction to the voice that issued from the previously unseen speaker next to him. Sadly, this was a voice he recognized.

"**I would advise that you keep from moving, Sweetums,"** his mother chirped at him through the microphone. **"After all, if you move to much, the medicine that we're about to give you may not work, and that would be a shame. After all, we've worked very hard on this for quite awhile. You wouldn't want all of our hard work to go to waste, would you?"**

"What the hell do you think you're doing," he hissed, the venom in his voice strong enough to eat through pavement.

"**Well, curing you, of course! Silly boy, you know we only want the best for you."**

She was _way _too happy about this. "Curing me?" He snapped. "What are you talking about? I'm fine!"

"**Poor boy. Your condition is obviously causing you to become delusional. You aren't fine, Honey… but don't worry, you will be. Now, hold still." **A slight hissing was heard as a small, flat panel opened next to him (at some point during his 'conversation' with his mother, the lights had turned on, but he wasn't quite sure when) and a needle slid out, aiming directly for his right arm.

"Oh, _hell_ no," he yelled, spinning despite the pain and snapping the needle off the mechanical arm with a well timed kick. "Now to get out of here," he mumbled, closing his eyes and concentrating. Green lightning sparked over him, before fading out and becoming a bright emerald glow that expanded outwards from Danny's body, pushing against the edges of the containment chamber which began to crack, just before bursting out in an explosion of shattered glass and twisted, smoldering metal. When the smoke cleared, Danny was standing in the center of the wreckage with green electricity still crackling all over him. Eyes narrowed, he turned to face Maddie, Tucker, and Jasmine.

"I really thought you three had changed," he hissed, disgust openly laced through his voice. "But I can see you're just the same as ever; pathetic and clueless. You want to cure me? I don't care, because I don't need or want to be cured. The only thing that needs curing around here is your complete and utter ignorance and disregard for anyone but yourselves." The special effects show simmered down a bit when Angel opened the door and looked around. When her gaze registered the scene before her, her eyes dimmed. Turning to Danny she murmured, "I see… we were right, then?"

The green light faded and all that was left was Danny, standing in the middle of the wreckage. His head and shoulders slumped; his arms hung limply by his sides. All in all, he look well and truly defeated. His only response was a tired sigh. "I wish we hadn't been."

Angel looked at him sympathetically. "I know," she soothed, stepping forward to embrace him.

"I know."


	15. For Now

_A/N: I am SO sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been aboslutely swamped with school, writer's block, health/computer issues, etc. I really do apologize. I'm getting back into the swing of things... I should be able to pull off my previous every saturday update pattern, but exams are soming up in a month so I make no promises. Suffice it to say I shall try. This is unbetaed, but once I have a betaed version I shall replace this with that. I must go back to class now, I apologize once again for the rush. I appreciate any ideas for who the 'villan (s)' should be, as I only have a vague idea... and there is a possible sequel, but I'm not sure yet. It will be a while coming, if there is, as I want to focus on my manuscript. _

_Enjoy._

_Ta._

**

* * *

The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Fourteen: For Now

The second Danny and Angel left the lab, shooting dirty glances (or disappointed, in Danny's case) at Maddie, Tucker, and Jasmine until they were out of sight, the trio's eyes flashed briefly a bloody crimson and green vapor slid out of their noses and mouths. The vapor solidified somewhat into three floating clouds of ectoplasm, leaving their human hosts to slump to the chilly floor in a dead faint. The biggest cloud, which had inhabited Maddie, rotated to face the other two and snickered, a disturbing and malicious grin adorning his face.

"Worked like a charm," it cackled, somehow managed to sound smug and depressed at the same time. "Yeah," chuckled a second, somewhat smaller than the first. "Blood may be thicker than water, but it ain't got _nothin_' on ectoplasm." The third blob, and the smallest, interrupted the celebration of the other two. "Enough!" It hissedm abd his companions fell silent immediately. "We must continue with the plan," it went on, its shrill whisper somehow managing so send shivers through the very air around them. "We must report to the Master of our success, and proceed to the next phase. Everything depends on what the Chosen Ones do next… theirs _and _ours." The thing grinned then, and all three ghosts departed in a whirl of ectoplasm and shadows. Its words hung in the air after they vanished, as heavy as the Earth itself.

"_Theirs __**and**__ ours…"_

Without realizing it, the unconscious forms of Tucker, Maddie, and Jasmine shivered; not from the lingering chill, but from an inescapable feeling of fear… and a sinking sense of dread of what was to come.

"_Can you save them, Danny and Angel?"_

Of what might not be left to come at all.

"_Can you save them all?"_

Because in the street above them their saviors, their Chosen Ones, their prophesized protectors, were loading up their military vehicle in suffocating silence. With grim looks on their faces, they packed up the last of their things and climbed in, Danny starting the engine with a reluctant grinding of gears and teeth.

"_**Will you even want to?"**_

Through the tinted windows, Team Apocolypto watched the townspeople gaze blindly back at their heroes with dismay, confusion, and despair. Kiva murmured quietly, his head drooping against the window, "So, what happens now?"

Danny smiled grimly. "Maddie and Tucker I could have believed, but Jazz was a stretch. Hell, she didn't even _talk _to Maddie and Jack for three years after I left. The only reason she was above monosyllables this last week was shock that I came back at all. They took a chance, and they blew it."

"That doesn't answer our question," Kali mumbled, sounding just as exhausted as her twin. Spud, slumped in the seat behind her, was silent and brooding; unusual in one normally so boisterous and outgoing.

"What else?" Angel asked rhetorically. "The ball's in their court now. We head out of town, set up camp, and lay low for a few days. We wait for their move. We play their game." She grinned maliciously and held up the 9mm pistol she had been loading in her lap, winking at her companions through the rearview mirror.

"We play their game… for now."

The black armored truck sped out of Amity, heading for the hostile forested mountains that lay just beyond the horizon.


	16. I Promise

_A/N: Eh... well, two weeks between updates is better than two months, isn't it? I'm sorry! This is unbetaed again... OTP is never on MSN anymore... there is an intereting twist in this chapter. I hope you all like it. I had a feeling it might go this way, but I wasn't sure how, so I forgot about it. Then I looked back at this when I was done typing and was all suprised._

_CE: Oh, really? Wow, didn't see that coming._

_Kali: -Waving the frying pan of Doom- It's your story!_

_CE: -Dodges- I know! I'm sorry!_

_Kitten: -To Audience- Kali will kill her one of these days, I swear. You better enjoy this chapter; CE needs glasses now from straining her eyes, and she still typed this for you! She's not even making any money!_

_CE: Down, girl! -Still running- And you too, Kali!_

_Kiva: Enjoy. No worries, I'll save her. Otherwise there would be no more story._

_Kali: -Freezes-_

_CE: On with the show! -To Kiva- My hero._

* * *

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Fifteen: I Promise

Back in the lab, a long, pale arm reached up and grasped the edge of the counter that rant the length of the room. A groan was hear, followed by and unidentifiable curse and the appearance of one Jasmine Fenton's head, looking like she had just pulled an all-nighter with a keg of beer and a baseball bat (or a Fenton Anti-Creep stick, depending on who you asked). "Wha' 'happen'?" she grumbled, feeling like her mouth was stuffed with cotton. Vaguely she wondered if her head was stuffed with cotton too- it certainly felt that way- but passed over that notion in favour of clearing her throat and repeating, "What happened?" She squinted at the 'Fenton Clock'; the glowing digital numbers (ectoplasm green, of course) read 5:47pm. _That's odd_, she thought, blinking slowly. Her brain was struggling to catch up to what had happened, it seemed to be filled with static, but she could have _sworn_ it was 11:30pm when she had gone to bed. She _never_ slept past seven; and how exactly had she ended up dressed and on the floor of her parent's lab? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think, but it was so _difficult_- she was interrupted by Tucker groaning behind her, reluctantly returning to consciousness.

"Anyone get a good look at that elephant?" he mumbled, voice gravelly and dry. "Elephant?" Jazz responded weakly, not understanding. "Yeah," he grumbled. "The one that stepped on me." Maddie stirred beside the two young adults and asked a familiar question. "What happened?"

:I don't-: Jazz started, but was cut off by Tucker sitting up and mumbling, "We got overshadowed; for a long time, by the feel of it." The two women stared blankly at him, and he elaborated. "Overshadowed- we got possessed by ghosts. The longer you're overshadowed, the worse it feels when they leave. The real problem, however, is what they did with us while we were 'out', so to speak." Bewildered, he gazed around the trashed lab, taking in the glass, sparking wires, smoldering metal, and bits of ectoplasm pooled on the floor, finally brining his eyes to rest on the slightly glowing syringe and the robotic arm it was still attached to. "_Shit_," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "This _so_ isn't going to be good."

Jazz and Maddie were spared a reply when the front door above slammed open and heavy, angry footsteps thundered across the first floor. All three winced as a lance of pain shot through their already throbbing heads- _Good morning, San Francisco_, Jazz thought wryly, her hands squeezing her temples in an effort to full the pain. She cringed again as a distraught Sam stormed in with her fists clenched, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "What did you do?!" she screeched, voice breaking. "What did you _idiots_ do?! It was going so well-" here she started to cry again, her fists shaking. "It was going so well, we were all starting over and now he's gone, he's _gone_, and he's not gonna come back this time, he's not gonna give us another chance, and it's all-_ your- FAULT!_"

She was hysterical now- her legs had given way and she slid to the floor in the center of the lab. Surrounded by the remains of what was once a fully functioning research facility, Samantha Mason rocked back and forth, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing, "What did you do, what did you do," over and over.

Shakily, Tucker pulled himself to his feet and staggered over to his broken friend. Dropping to his knees beside her, he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back soothingly, as though she were a small child.

"I don't know," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes flashing icy cold with anger and shame and guilt- it was 5 years ago all over again, and it wasn't even their fault this time. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'll bring him back, Sam," he said, determination making his voice hard. "I'll bring him back to us. I promise."

Wrapped in his arms, head buried in her lap where no one could see her face, Samantha Mason's shoulders continued to shake with sobs- and cold, slanted eyes narrowed, a victory grin curling wickedly at the corners of her mouth.


	17. Cry

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Sixteen: Cry

Some miles away in a heavily forested area, about halfway up a mountain between Wisconsin and Amity, Team Apocolypto was setting up camp. All five members worked in a tense silence, casting furtive glances into the shadows around them and stealing worried looks at their brave leaders. Danny ignored these looks as best he could (Angel was aware of them, but was more concerned for her partner and husband) and continued to assemble the last of three tents with his jaw clenched in annoyance and anger. When the tent finally stood complete, he straightened up and stalked into the section of forest nearest to him. After a moment of expectant silence, a roar of "God-_dammit!_" echoed through the trees, sending flocks of birds bursting into the sky in alarm and making everyone present jump.

"I should go talk to him," Angel murmured, grabbing a yew staff that leaned against a nearby tree. Spud reached out an arm to stop her. "He needs to be alone right now," he told her sadly. "It's a guy thing." She whirled to face him, eyes blazing fiercely. "He does _not_ need to be alone!" she hissed. "He needs to be with someone who cares for him and will fight beside him to beat this thing! He's been alone ever since he got his powers- don't you think he's had enough of it?!" Pushing his arm out of the way, she strode angrily towards the same patch Danny had walked through not moments before, quickly disappearing into the shadows. Behind her, silence reigned.

* * *

"God-_dammit!_" Danny roared into the sky, fists clenched and shaking by his sides. How could he have been so _stupid?!_ Danny was angry, yes; but not that he had had to leave his family again. He wasn't angry that they had tried to 'cure' him; that wasn't his real family, any idiot could see that. He wasn't even angry that he wasn't going to be able to see them again to _explain_ what had happened, and why he had to leave, before he returned for the final battle. Quite possibly _his_ final battle. No, Danny was angry that he had given his enemy the opportunity to use his family against him, _again_- and even worse, that he had fallen for it. _Don't get attached_- it was the first rule, the first _bloody_ rule, how many times had he told his team, told the others he rescued? Don't get attached, because you'll only end up hurt. You'll only have to leave again. It's easier if you stop caring- it hurts less if you stop caring.

But he had broken that rule, and why? Because not caring left a new kind of pain, a steady deep ache of loneliness and despair and emptiness. It was easier to bear than leaving, than caring, but it still hurt- and he had only wanted it to stop hurting, even if it was just for a little while. Was that so bad? But it was bad, because he had been selfish, and put his family in danger, and in the end he had had to leave again, and now it hurt even worse than before. He had always been aware of the emptiness, on some instinctive level- but now that it had been filled for a short time, it was _there_, a huge, deep, yawning void that tried to suck all of him in until there was nothing left.

In the end, it hurt worse than before.

He had accomplished nothing but pain.

So he did the only thing that made sense to the fragile hero- he broke. He cried, silently and with his shoulders shaking, for the first time in five years, he cried. And that was how Angel found him, minutes later, still heaving with sobs. It was so amazing to her, the girl hero who had never shed a tear- who had always had to be strong, to be perfect, to be invincible and never, _ever _cry because crying was weak and to be weak was to die- that she was afraid. However, at the same time, she was grateful, because Danny was the strongest person she knew, and if he could cry…

She could cry, too.

* * *

**_A/N- I am so completely sorry. My computer is still busted, so I'm typing these up on the school computers, when I can snag one that works. I'm trying, anyway._**


	18. And Yet, People Are Still Surprised

The Forgotten, The Fumorii

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Seventeen: And Yet, People Are Still Surprised

"It's been three days!" Sam cried in despair, burying her face in her hands. "Three days, and no sign of him! Not even a trace! It's as if he's vanished off the face of the Earth- _again!_" Her hysterical shouting trailed off into a sob. Tucker, grim-faced, laid a hand on her shoulder. "There's still time, Sam," he assured her, uncharacteristically serious. "That major battle they were talking about isn't due to start until sometime tomorrow, right?" He winced as Sam burst into fresh tears; mentioning the battle that Danny was supposedly going to die in probably wasn't the most sensitive move at the moment, he realized a bit too late. Frantically, he tried to regain some semblance of control over the situation and calm his friend down.

"Look, Maddie and Jack are recalibrating the Fenton Finder to be able to track down Danny's specific ectoplasmic energy signature. As soon as it's operational, we'll go find him and bring him back. We'll explain what happened and Danny will go save the day and come back looking like shit, but still alive… mostly, anyway. It'll be just like old times!" His forced enthusiasm seemed to do the trick, as Sam lifted her head and sniffed miserably. "You really think so?" she questioned, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Yeah!" Tucker smiled, "I really do. But you look exhausted, Sam. How about you go have a rest while we finish up the last of the modifications and other annoying little fiddly things? You'll be in no condition to go after Danny if you don't get some sleep." He paused, still grinning cheerfully. Sam wiped at her eyes and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the heavily polished side of the Fenton RV (now tricked out with a multitude of ghost tracking and sensing equipment, plus one portable ghost shield, just in case). "God, Tuck, you're right," ignoring Tucker's indignant mutter of _'You doubted me?'_ in the background, "I look like _shit_. I think I will crash on the couch for a bit- you'll wake me when we're ready or if anything changes, right?" She looked not only to Tucker, but also to Jazz for confirmation. Once both had agreed, she nodded and muttered to herself, "Right, then," and made her way unsteadily up the stairs. Jazz and Tucker watched her leave in concerned silence.

Once the footsteps above had creaked over towards the couch and stopped, leaving the room's two occupants fairly sure that Sam was actually doing as she was told and not going out on a crackpot solo search for Danny, Tucker returned to his worktable, where he was assembling five new (slightly modified to be Danny-proof) Specter Deflectors from some blueprints he had managed to salvage from an old hard drive (poor Jack; even when he tried to erase everything, he was just too much of a packrat at heart to throw out something as useless, and yet so full of promise, as an old computer). Jazz just turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised in disbelief- or was that admiration? Skepticism?- and a puzzled frown.

Feeling her eyes boring holes into his back, Tucker spun his computer chair around and looked back at her. "What?" he demanded, half exasperated and half amused. Jazz hesitated. "It's just… you sounded so _smart_; so _confident_. You totally took control of the situation back there. You even got _Sam_ to listen to logic in the middle of a panic attack!" There was no mistaking it now- that was definitely admiration. She sounded very impressed, Tucker noted, chuckling. "Yeah," he muttered in response. "That sort of thing used to happen quite often, actually, before- well, you know. It still happens quite a bit- and yet, somehow, people still always seem to be surprised…" he trailed off, musing on that.

Which is probably why he didn't notice Jazz stride purposefully across the room towards him- until, that is, she bent over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Tucker froze, his face quickly reddening to an unhealthy looking shade, as Jazz leaned in and whispered, "Good job," in his ear, before almost sprinting back to the other side of the room with her back to him- supposedly to work on the Fenton Portal.

At least until that infuriatingly persistent blush on her cheeks went away.

Behind her, Tucker finally seemed to register what had happened. Grinning widely, he hopped up out of the chair and punched both arms into the air in a 'victory' pose.

"_**Wah-hoooooooooooooooooo!**_"

Okay, she couldn't help it. Despite the inevitable events looming on the horizon, Jazz just _had_ to smile.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, I wish I could say I have a good reason for taking so long, but.. hey wait, I do! My friend moved back up that I haven't seen in ages and there's a new baby in the house, so I've been super busy. See? Not my fault! Anyway, I'm about 1/2 done the next chapter... look for that in the next week or two. I'm going to try and get back on my old update schedule... considering there's only 2 or 3 chapters left. Blush_

_Kali: You suck._

_CE: Yeah.. I know._


	19. A Good Day to Die

_A/N: Sorry, but this chapter has not been betaed yet-Midnight Phantomness is having some computer issues. Rest assured I will replace this with the edit once I get my grubby little paws on it D_

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Eighteen: A Good Day to Die

Danny sat, staring blankly into the flickering fire. He didn't seem to register the cold ground beneath him, or the night chill penetrating his thin clothing despite the almost desperate efforts of the flames before him. He barely even reacted when Angel pushed a bowl of warm broth into him hands. 'Eat,' she murmured. 'You'll need it.' She returned to the fire to ladle out a bowl for herself before returning to sit next to him. They sipped at their plain meals in unison, both staring at the deceptively cheerful flames without a word. Neither spoke. They didn't have to.

A thousand thoughts, cries, memories, hopes and dreams flitted through the air between them.

Later that night, after their three teammates were truly, deeply asleep, Danny and Angel sat up from where they were pretending to do the same. Already fully dressed, they looked at each other across the coals, still smoldering feebly, then rose without a sound and began gathering their things from the truck which had remained parked nearby. Having retrieved all of their gear, they turned around… and froze.

There before them stood Spud, arms crossed and eyebrows raised severely, looking all the world like a mother who just caught her child sneaking out. Tapping his foot, he asked the question they had both been hoping to avoid; 'And just _where_ do you two think _you're_ going, hmmm?'

Danny's eyes shifted nervously. 'Umm… the little ghost's room?' he covered, trying unsuccessfully to slide the black gym back filled with various blades behind his back. Next to him, Angel smiled and nodded a bit too quickly. Spud's eyes narrowed and he responded with a skeptical, 'Uh-huh.' Then his shoulders slumped. 'You're leaving, aren't you?' he murmured sadly, already knowing the answer, but still somehow hoping that one of them would tell him it wasn't true.

'Yes,' Angel confirmed, unable to meet his eyes, and Spud felt his stomach lurch painfully. 'What about _them_?' he demanded, gesturing to where the twins still lay in deep slumber. 'After all this, after everything, you owe them _some_ sort of explanation at least!'

'And what would we tell them?!' Angel demanded harshly in return. 'That it's _better_ this way? That we wish it had all happened differently? _Nothing we can tell them will make this better, _Spud!' She sighed, all her energy spent in that one emotional outburst. 'Stay here, Spud,' she murmured softly. 'Take care of them. For all they've seen, and all they've had to do, they're still children somewhere inside. Teach them to be children again; the twins and all the other Fumorii who have had to be too much like them… too much like _us_. All they know, all they've ever known, is fighting; but after today, they won't need to fight anymore. Teach them of other things. Teach them of life, of laughter, of love. Teach them what we couldn't.' She looked at him imploringly, all her pride and posturing and power stripped from her in that one instant.

'I'll never be able to replace you two,' Spud responded. 'You taught them so much-' Danny cut him off bitterly. 'Yeah, we taught them alright. We taught them to fight and to kill and how to _not care_-' Spud interrupted him, returning the favor. 'You taught them to _survive_!' he exclaimed, and Danny softened. 'Yes,' he admitted. 'We did teach them that, at least. And now it's your turn. We taught them how to survive, Spud- now you need to teach them how to _live_.'

Spud could see that neither would budge on this one- no matter what he said, they were still going to leave. The least he could do was honor what was probably going to be the last request they ever made of him. 'Alright,' he agreed, defeated. 'I'll stay. I'll take care of them.'

Angel smiled. 'Thank you,' she whispered, blinking back tears. 'We have to leave now, Spud. Merry meet and merry part and…' she trailed off. 'Well, you get the idea. Goodbye Spud. I wish you a long and happy life.' This sentiment was repeated by Danny.

And then, with a gust of wind, Spud stood alone in the clearing. Sighing, he went back to the blackened fire pit and sat, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders and his arms around his legs. Resting his head on his knees, he spoke. 'Mother?' His voice suddenly seemed very small and very fragile, hanging like cobwebs in the crisp pre-dawn air. 'Mother, it's all coming to an end now, isn't it?' He stopped, as though waiting for an answer. He waited, still and silent, for a very long time.

No answer came.

Danny and Angel stood on a plateau several miles above the campsite, looking down at their former companions and facing the rising sun… and Amity Park. 'Hey, Angel,' Danny said suddenly, looking to the sunrise. 'What was it that the Spartans used to say before they went into battle?' Angel smiled and replied, 'They would say, "Today is a good day to die".'

Danny smiled. 'Yeah,' he murmured, lifting his head and letting the soft breeze caress his face as the sun finally pulled itself completely over the horizon, shining on a new day.

'Today is a good day to die.'


	20. Through the Looking Glass

**_A/N: Okay, this is a bit eaarly (3 days...) but consider it the beginning of all the grovelling and bribing and apologizing pathetically that I'm going to have to do to make up for my inexcuseably long absence. If you want the grovelling, bribing, etc. to continue, please review. It helps me feel warm inside... which is good, because my outsides are freezing. It's JUNE, for God's sake-- isn't it supposed to be warm?!_**

The Forgotten, The Fumorii

Chapter Nineteen: Through the Looking Glass

Danny and Angel stood together in the town square, watching the water sparkle as it splashed over the sides of the fountain, snatching every rainbow and prism and second of glittering beauty it could from the watery rays of the sun that had barely risen. The town was empty and cold, seeming abandoned- Danny felt like he was standing on a stage at the climax of a show, and the buildings around him were merely facades, props, in the last scene. A cool wind blew, and Angel shivered next to him. 'A few more minutes,' she whispered, 'and it will be Midsummer exactly.'

Danny just nodded, a hard knot of dread forming in his stomach, twisting his insides…

_More twisted than you know._

Danny started, and then shook his head. Where had _that _thought come from?

Spud looked to the side as Kali started to wake up. Cracking one eye open, she murmured blearily, 'What time is it, what's for breakfast, and where's the coffee?' Smiling, Spud set about starting breakfast and handed her some of the bitter brew.

Inwardly, he also thanked the heavens that Kali was not a morning person and that Kiva, the more perceptive of the two (and therefore the one most likely to notice that their most vocal members were missing) happened to be a late sleeper and would likely not wake for another hour or so. _Sometimes,_ he thought, _when things seem like they can't possibly get worse, the Multiverse just gives you a freebie._

'Say,' Kali spoke suddenly. 'Where are Danny and Angel?'

Damn. _And sometimes, _he amended; _it just sets out to prove you wrong._ 'Yeah, about that…'

Danny shuddered as the cool wind blew again; not from the chill, but from the bells that started to ring out from City Hall. _How strange,_ he thought, _that even after all these years, they still sound like funeral bells,_ not realizing he had echoed the thoughts of his mother only days earlier. _And this time, they actually are ringing for a funeral._

'Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee! For thee!' Angel murmured beside him in a moment of morbid humor, her eyes oddly bright; excitement or fear, he couldn't tell. Maybe she couldn't either. After so many years, after all, the two emotions did start to seem rather the same.

As the bell rang out it's fifth and final toll, the sound echoed into silence which descended upon the whole town. _Not cold and empty, _Danny thought suddenly. _Dead._ That was how the town felt- dead. With a strange emotional detachment, he watched shadows swirl into being in the center of the square, and an eerie voice rang from where the shadows of the Portal- for that, clearly, was what the pool of darkness was- were deepest.

"_And so, here we are, three Immortals standing on the edge of Eternity. I wonder, is it everything you hoped it would be? I certainly hope so; after all, I hate to disappoint."_

'Who are you?' Angel called, proud that her voice was steady despite the desperate hammering of the heart in her chest. Odd, she was sure her heart had stopped beating years ago, that day her parents had tried to kill her. The day they had succeeded.

"_My dear enemy, do you not already know? I am the monster under the bed, the voice in the shadows, the fear you hold deep within your heart. I am everything you could be and would have been, had you chosen another path."_

Danny squinted; for a second, he could have sworn he heard _two _voices, speaking in unison with each other. Did that mean there was more than one enemy to fight?

"_I know why you did it,"_ the voice continued, not gleeful or angry or spiteful, but plainly and matter-of-fact. _"I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? Everyone you ever cared about had turned their backs on you, multiple governments out either to buy or destroy you, your own parents treating you like monsters. All of these events conspired, in another time, another place, to make you that which you hoped not to be. You sought the power to defend yourselves, and in doing so, you became exactly what everyone thought you were. But by then, it was too late. You knew what you were, what you had become, but you had developed such a taste for destruction and fear and death that you couldn't stop. And eventually, when you had destroyed all you could in the world that was your own, you sought a new world._

"_Imagine what it must have been like, to find that somewhere in the Multiverse, there was another like you, but as you could have been. Not happy, not content; but not alone. Not bathed in the blood of your enemies. Imagine the anger you must have felt- how dare they have what you could not? And so it was to their world that you headed next, that you planned to destroy next. Do you really want to know who I am? I am the greatest enemy you will ever face, and the best friend you will ever have. I will never tell the truth, but to you at least, I cannot lie._

"_To see your true enemy, all you have to do is look in a mirror."_

And there in front of them, solidifying out of the shadows…

Were Danny and Angel.

'What do you mean they _left?!_' Kali screeched, fully awake now. 'What the hell makes them think they can fight without us?'

'Because the end result will be the same,' Spud reminded her sadly. 'Why should we be there when all we can do is get hurt fighting an enemy we cannot defeat? This is what they wanted, Kali.'

'The hell it is,' she fumed, grabbing her things and heading out of the clearing. 'Where are you going?' Spud called after her. 'I know where they are!' she yelled furiously over her shoulder. 'And if they think I'm gonna get left behind because of their damn _hero complexes_, they've got another thing comin!'

Spud and Kiva stared after her for about ten seconds before exchanging a glance, grabbing their things, and high-tailing it after her.

'Hey, wait for us!'


	21. The Enemy Within, Part 1

The Forgotten, The Fumorii

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Twenty: The Enemy Within

As Danny and Angel stood facing their dark counterparts in silent shock, the only thing Danny could think was, _This would be a really, __**really**__ bad time for my family to show up._ Which, of course, the Fenton clan chose that exact second to do; no one could ever accuse his family of missing a cue. Jazz was the first to notice what exactly seemed strange about this situation, quickly followed by both of the elder Fentons. All three froze in panic and confusion, unable to process what they were seeing; rather like a rabbit facing down a hawk, Danny thought dryly, except the rabbit at least possessed the good sense to turn and _run_.

Danny sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, grimacing. Behind his eyes he could feel the fluttery beginnings of what promised to be a terrible migraine lurking. He sighed again, this time in annoyance more than exasperation, and slumped his shoulders.

Today was **not** going to be a good day.

The arrival of the Fentons kicked Angel's brain back into high gear- _**Warning, full Battle Mode activated**_, she thought, holding back a somewhat hysterical giggle. _Giggling on the battlefield equals __**not appropriate**_, the warrior chided herself, taking a deep breath to calm herself and beginning to analyze the situation.

Okay, first off: they were right smack-dab in the middle of Amity Park. Suburbia. The American Dream (kinda). People. Families. Children. Civilians. Bad.

Secondly: No backup. They had left Spud, Kali, and Kiva, all three of their trusted team mates, behind. Logically, she knew that it was for the best, but she couldn't help wishing- albeit a little selfishly- that they had some help coming. Or, for that matter, _any _help coming. But they didn't. So, no backup. That was also bad.

Third and lastly: The enemies they had been so dreading facing were, in fact, themselves. Now, even disregarding the fact that this whole thing simply **reeked** of subconscious symbolism and had enough repressed emotional tendencies to keep even Freud happy for _years _to come, this last turn of events simply could not be described as anything other than really, **really **_**bad**_.

And even though she couldn't quite explain it, Angel just _knew_ this was all going to somehow end with fire.

The instant Maddie realized what she was seeing was real, she felt a crushing wave of relief wash over her. That may have seemed strange, given the circumstances- in fact, it almost definitely did- but in order to understand _why_ Maddie felt this way she would have had to spend several days explaining in excruciating detail what she had experienced over the last five years, always waiting for her little boy to come home, never willing to admit, even to herself, that she was still waiting for him after all this time.

The reason Maddie felt such great relief at the scene before her can, however, be condensed into something roughly comprehensible, like this: For a second, she thought she was seeing things. Mirages. Hallucinations. After all, there couldn't possibly be _two_ Danny's, could there?

**Right, **a sinister, hissing voice crooned from the back of her mind. **There can't be **_**two**_**Danny's- you must be imagining one of them. **Maddie shuddered and tried to force herself away from that line of thought- which could only lead her somewhere she didn't want to go- and focus back on the situation at hand. It didn't work, of course. When, in all the time since the slithering voice had appeared (five years…), had it _ever_ worked?

**In fact, **her dark thoughts continued, pushing harder against the flimsy barrier of hope and optimism that held them out, and held her together. **In fact, what if you're imagining **_**both **_**of them?** No, she thought clearly. It couldn't be true. She couldn't have imagined _all _of it…

**But what if you did?** The voice hissed again, sending icy chills down her spine. **What if none of it was real? Your son coming back, your daughter speaking to you again, your family together and living happily ever after- what if none of it was real, Maddie? **Tendrils of doubt and fear, hard and cold as iron, coiled around her mind more tightly with each cruelly stabbing word that was whispered, until she was rendered immobile by invisible chains formed of her own self-doubt and despair. **Wouldn't that mean, **the oily voice grew slightly more audible, as though the owner were leaning towards her to impart some deep, vital secret- **Wouldn't that mean that, in reality, you were **_**all alone?**_

_No!_ The thought came with a sudden, startling clarity. _I am __not__ insane, _she thought, surprising even herself with the ferocity held in that single statement. _I am not imagining this! My family is real! Danny is real! And __you_, she sneered mentally, _you__ are nothing but a voice without an owner, hiding- a coward! __You__ are the one who isn't real!_

And then, for the first time in five years, Maddie deliberately thought about the day her whole world had shattered- the day Danny had left Amity Park. And, for the first time since that day, she was able to remember every terrible, cruel, heartless thing she had done to her son, and where once she would have heard a whisper of doubt- **Was it worth it, Maddie?**- she heard nothing but beautiful, blessed silence.

Maddie heaved a sigh of relief and smiled slightly, before once again opening her eyes to view the scene before her. To her genuine surprise, it seemed as though only a few seconds had passed. Could her struggle really have been so short? It had seemed like an eternity to her, locked in an internal battle with an enemy who knew her nearly as well as she knew herself.

And suddenly, she knew why this scene seemed so terribly, achingly familiar.

_**What are you most afraid of, my dear?**_** A ten year old girl looked up at a much older man clad in a lab coat over a grey hazmat suit. She considered the question for a moment, her face as serious as any adult's, before answering in a high, clear voice.**

_**Time.**_


	22. The Enemy Within, Part 2

The Forgotten, The Fumorii

**The Forgotten, The Fumorii**

Chapter Twenty: The Enemy Within (Part Two)

_Where did that come from?_ Maddie thought, her head spinning. She remembered the incident, of course- how could she not? But why, she wondered dizzily, _why_ had she remembered it _now_, of all times? _The answer is in the question_, she told herself firmly. Her father had taught her that; find the real question and it will lead you to the solution. Trying to ignore the spirited (and rather nasty) verbal spar that had sprung up between the mirror images, Maddie squeezed her eyes shut and focused as hard as she could.

_What is the real question?_ **Time.**

Okay. Time was as good a place as any to start. In that memory, she was afraid of time; in fact, she explicitly said it was her _greatest_ fear. Why?

_**Oh? And what is it about time that you are so afraid of?**_** The older man didn't seem like he was laughing at her answer, like so many other adults did. Indeed, he seemed genuinely fascinated by her response, interested in knowing more. So more is what she told him. **

_**I'm afraid of wasting it, of running out. Of not having enough to do the things that are important. **_**She paused and hesitated, then added, **_**Of having too much.**_

_**Of having too much, you say, **_**he mused. **_**Why does the idea of having an infinite amount of time frighten you so?**_

**Ten year old Maddie answered with no hesitation at all this time. **_**Because humans **__**need**__** to be able to die and move on. If we had an unlimited amount of time, time and life would start to lose meaning. Without the constant threat of death and the unknown beyond it, people would no longer feel the need to learn, to grow, to do something great, to become more than what they are. Humanity as a whole would cease to move forward and stagnate; individuals would become either apathetic or insane. We **__**need**__** to know that death is inevitable. **_

**Eyeglasses glinting, her grandfather leaned toward her as though to impart some vital secret. Trembling with excitement, he urged her on silently; and in her ear, before she left for home, he breathed, **_**What about**__** ghosts**__**?**_

And here Maddie caught her breath, and her heart skipped a beat; because even though in her memory, she had not been able to answer the question, she knew now instinctively what a lifetime of researching and studying ghosts had been unable to prove conclusively: Ghosts already _had _all the time in the world. No matter what they did, ghosts were doomed to always stay exactly the same, unchanging, until the end of time itself; but in the end, ghosts had been human once, too. And regardless of circumstances, they still held some fragment of that humanity- including the ceaseless need to be able to grow and _change_. They couldn't escape that need because they couldn't escape themselves. And faced with an eternity of such a desperate, frustrating existence, nearly _anyone_ would go insane after enough time had passes, including the most rational and even-tempered ghost in existence.

Like the Master of Time himself, for example.

"Danny!" she cried out, realizing the full scope of her train of thought. "It's a trick! They aren't your real opponents- you've known who he is all along!"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Danny called back, dodging a blow from his reflection. Facing your own darkness certainly seemed to be steeped in enough clichéd symbolism for an epic final battle over the fate of humanity. What could possibly be more appropriate?

"What are you most afraid of?!" he could hear her, distantly over the clash of meeting swords and the dull _**thud**_ of Angel making contact with the pavement. Flicking sweat out of his eyes, he broke contact with his other and considered the question.

_Great time to bring up philosophy, Mom_, he thought grimly, not even realizing he hadn't called her 'Maddie'. _Right in the middle of fighting for my life and, y'know, __humanity__ itself. You always did have dreadful timing. _But he had to admit, it was a valid question. What _was _he most afraid of? He used to be afraid of his family, of his secret coming out. Clearly, this was no longer a relevant fear, so he discarded it and moved on. Next: he was afraid of himself and his capabilities, of what he could become, of his own power and suppressed ambitions. Technically, that was the fear he was fighting right now; but his mother said it was a trick, a false enemy, so it had to be something else. Danny thought hard- there had to be something he was missing, some factor he had overlooked.

_The answer is in the question_.

In his first fear, he was afraid of his family _eventually_ finding out about him. His second fear was of what he may _someday_ become. Both ways were, in some way, related to time. And suddenly he froze, looking with wide eyes to greet the gaze of his opponent.

"Time," he whispered, his heart sinking into his stomach. His twin smiled sadly and nodded, dropping his sword. "Good job," he murmured. "I'd hoped you would figure it out. I may be 'evil' by your standards, but I'm _nobody's _pawn. Take him down, and rest assured, I'll see you later- and then we'll fight again, without distractions. Next time, we'll see who made the better choice. Later, weakling." And suddenly, without warning, Danny stood alone. Looking across the town square, he saw Angel stoop to pick up her bladed staff and glance back at him, blinking in confusion.

And then, in the very center of the square, an indistinct shimmer appeared, as space itself began to twist.

And then reality tore apart.

* * *

**A/N: Finally! I would like some reviews on this one, please. Next chapter is already in the works, but please give me a break, I work ALL THE TIME now. I live at work and on the bus. I haven't seen my family in FOUR DAYS.**

**Also, I started a blog. Check out my writing exploits at: **--alennia.--wordpress.--com/ **Remove the hyphens! It's updated regularly, so check there for updates on fanfics as well as other stuff.**


End file.
